Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) revisit their design of Colorado Springs’ Air Force Academy campus to gift it with a new building, a symbolic yet practical structure which will act as the site’s new Center for Character and Leadership Development, abbreviated to the CCLD.
Originally designed by SOM in 1954, the campus which has been designated as a National Historic Landmark District since 2004, accommodates around 550 staff and over 4,000 students. The CCLD will act as the new architectural focal point for the campus, whilst also visually offsetting the academy’s iconic and striking Cadet Chapel which resides directly next door to the new building.
Totalling 46,000-square-foot, the CCLD is situated to be a critical meeting point between public and cadet areas of the site, acting as a nexus due to its select location by different sectors of the building which are each designated to professors, cadets, important visitors and the public. The new building will contain a forum, a flexible working space, collaboration conference and seminar rooms, along with a library, offices and an honour board room where important matters concerning the Cadet Honor Code are held.
A 105-foot skylight looms over the CCLD’s visitors casting natural light into the depths of the building. The glass structure was designed to align with the position of the North Star, to the signify the Academy’s guiding values. An architectural and engineering marvel, the dynamic structure is composed from Architecturally Exposed Structural Steel (AESS), and exists without any embellishment or ornamentation, its sleek connections working in aesthetic harmony with SOM’s refined and pared-back design.
'Our Center for Character and Leadership Development creates a distinct and contemporary icon for the U.S. Air Force Academy, while also deferring to the discipline and rigour of the original campus plan,' states Roger Duffy, design partner at SOM. 'We were honoured to have this opportunity to revisit one of our most important projects, and to make a 21st-century contribution at the heart of the campus.'
The dynamic skylight is composed from an Architecturally Exposed Structural Steel (AESS), existing without any embellishment or ornamentation and with sleek connections, which work in aesthetic harmony with SOM’s refined and pared-back design
Totalling 46,000-square-foot, the CCLD is situated to be a critical meeting point between public and cadet areas of the site, acting as a nexus to all of the Academy's visitors
The CCLD will contain a forum, a flexible working space, collaboration conference and seminar rooms along with a library, offices and an honour board room where important matters concerning the Cadet Honor Code are held
A 105-foot skylight looms over the CCLD’s visitors, casting natural light into the depths of the building. The glass structure was symbolically designed to align with the position of the North Star
INFORMATION
For more information on the Air Force Academy's Center for Character and Leadership Development, visit Skidmore, Owings & Merrill's website
Photography: Magda Biernat
-
Inside André Fu’s Hong Kong ‘urban retreat’Hong Kong-based designer André Fu shares iPhone snaps of his home overlooking Deep Water Bay and tells us of his inspirations, daily rituals and favourite art and design objects
-
Scarpetta Rome brings New York flair to classic Italian flavours
Scarpetta Rome is the latest outpost of the classic New York Italian restaurant
-
Laundry list: how to look after your clothes, and make them last longer
A group of experts weigh in on their tips for washing, storing and repairing your clothes to make them last for decades to come
-
This Shelter Island house is designed as a ‘modern cabin’
Shelter Island house by Koning Eizenberg is designed with a ‘modern cabin’ approach and aesthetic, keeping the owners close to nature
-
Rafael de Cárdenas Scholarship at RISD supports access and equity in education
The new Rafael de Cárdenas Scholarship at RISD offers support for students at the school’s Architecture or Apparel departments; we catch up with the architect to find out more
-
Texan family house foregrounds sports cars, secret spaces and fantastic finishes
Smitharc has shaped a formidable Texan family house in suburban Dallas, using courtyards and setbacks to create a series of intimate spaces within a substantial plot
-
Compact Mount Washington house is designed for maximum impact
A Mount Washington house by Anonymous in Los Angeles makes the most of its views, steep site and small size
-
Roberts Projects turns historic car dealership into characterful LA art space
Roberts Projects by Johnston Marklee sees the gallery launch its new home in Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles
-
Studio Gang’s Richard Gilder Center brings organic tactility to New York City
The Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education and Innovation by Studio Gang marks a new era for New York City’s iconic American Museum of Natural History
-
Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts launches its undulating Studio Gang design
Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts by Studio Gang opens in Little Rock, USA, blending new construction and renovation
-
‘Living among the trees’ finds form in a Miami house design
The experience of ‘living among the trees’ takes centre stage in a Miami house by Strang Design
