The historic Brown Hall—built in 1864 as the second dormitory on the campus of Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey—has been sensitively restored and modernized by the Pennsylvania-based Voith & Mactavish Architects LLP (VMA). The project renovates the hall to meet the expectations of today’s graduate-level students, improve accessibility, and accommodate new service systems. The 46,500-square-foot project included comprehensive interior renovation, exterior rehabilitation, selective demolition, landscaping, and civil work.
The existing traditional dormitory-style configuration, consisting of double units with shared group bathrooms, was converted into a layout that provides individual bedrooms with private en suite bathrooms. Each floor is equipped with a multi-purpose lounge to serve as a space for group study and social gatherings, featuring furniture pieces produced from wood salvaged on site. On the first floor, a larger central lounge includes a kitchenette where students can prepare meals. Outdated interior finishes were replaced with tones of white and gray for the walls and carpeted floors. New lighting fixtures, window blinds and tiled bathroom floors add to the warm and neutral atmosphere inside the building.
On the north facade, a new portico and an additional entrance link this residential building with the rest of the campus and its lush greenery, also creating a central quad. Within the building, a new elevator was installed in place of the old, undersized one. Removable roof dormers provide access for the maintenance of the updated MEP and fire protection systems, with minimum modifications made to the existing architectural character of the building.
New ramps with metal handrails on either side of the original stepped entrance enhance the physical accessibility of the main entrance on the south facade of Brown Hall. The existing doors were replaced with reproductions that are lighter in weight and have built-in accessibility hardware.
