This project proposes a public-facing cultural hub at the edge of the Pratt campus—designed to bridge the divide between academic departments, disciplines, and the surrounding neighborhood. While Pratt functions as a leading art and design institution, its physical layout reinforces separation among fields. The new facility reimagines this boundary as an opportunity for connection, positioning itself as a cross-disciplinary laboratory for artist residencies and creative exchange.

The architectural strategy centers on the concept of the Urban Living Room—an open ground level that blurs the line between campus and city. Double-height studios, modular workstations, and flexible gallery spaces animate a porous public realm that adapts to varying uses. Operable walls and sliding glass façades allow the building’s interface to shift between open exhibition, active production, and quiet collaboration.

Programmatically, the project organizes space along a gradient—from the street-facing public zone to the more private, campus-oriented work areas—facilitating different modes of engagement. The architecture supports fluid interaction while preserving zones of focus, enabling a dynamic yet intentional overlap between disciplines, students, and the public.