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Most of the principal buildings on the Carnegie Mellon University campus were designed at one time by a single architect, Henry Hornbostel, and are similar to one another in massing, scale, color and detail. The design for the GSIA expansion pays respect to the original Hornbostel campus, yet is sensitive to the 1953 design of the original GSIA structure. The project is an addition to the existing facility, itself built during three phases, and equals the present 60,000 gross square feet, with two thirds of the new expansion devoted to students and instructional space, and one-third to faculty offices. The expansion physically defines the western edge of Tech Street, with its primary facade opposite the Hornbostel designed gymnasium; it terminates with a semicircular entry court diagonal to a similar space at the Margaret Morrison building, also designed by Hornbostel.

The ground floor entry gives access to well-traveled student areas, including the student commons area, the main lecture hall, student lockers and a computer study room. A formal linear stair spatially links the new lobby at the ground floor with the existing main lobby at the first floor. The main axis of the building is splayed, widening in the direction of the new entrance lobby; this axis serves to organize the building, with stepped classrooms occupying a 38' - 0" wide track to one side of the axis, and flat classrooms in the 32' - 0" wide track at the other side of the axis. The wide end of the splay rises as a clerestory-lit, triple-height atrium, discreetly connecting the instruction spaces with the instructors' office suites at the second floor. There, transom height strip windows borrow natural light from the clerestory for the interior reception/secretarial suites.

The building envelope is of materials similar to the Hornbostel buildings, a buff-color brick with limestone colored pre-cast sills and trim, and painted metal casement windows. It is crowned with a overhanging painted steel canopy, an updated interpretation of the Hornbostel eave overhang. The flat roof provides the future floor for a 4-story expansion.

The entire facility has been planned with current and future computer and satellite communications technology in mind. Polished terrazzo and honed English slate with extensive wood trim and texture plaster walls establish the vocabulary of the interiors

click to see larger image	Most of the principal buildings on the Carnegie Mellon University campus were designed at one time by a single architect, Henry Hornbostel, and are similar to one another in massing, scale, color and detail. The design for the GSIA expansion pays respect to the original Hornbostel campus, yet is sensitive to the 1953 design of the original GSIA structure. The project is an addition to the existing facility, itself built during three phases, and equals the present 60,000 gross square feet, with two thirds of the new expansion devoted to students and instructional space, and one-third to faculty offices. The expansion physically defines the western edge of Tech Street, with its primary facade opposite the Hornbostel designed gymnasium; it terminates with a semicircular entry court diagonal to a similar space at the Margaret Morrison building, also designed by Hornbostel. The ground floor entry gives access to well-traveled student areas, including the student commons area, the main lecture hall, student lockers and a computer study room. A formal linear stair spatially links the new lobby at the ground floor with the existing main lobby at the first floor. The main axis of the building is splayed, widening in the direction of the new entrance lobby; this axis serves to organize the building, with stepped classrooms occupying a 38' - 0" wide track to one side of the axis, and flat classrooms in the 32' - 0" wide track at the other side of the axis. The wide end of the splay rises as a clerestory-lit, triple-height atrium, discreetly connecting the instruction spaces with the instructors' office suites at the second floor. There, transom height strip windows borrow natural light from the clerestory for the interior reception/secretarial suites. The building envelope is of materials similar to the Hornbostel buildings, a buff-color brick with limestone colored pre-cast sills and trim, and painted metal casement windows. It is crowned with a overhanging painted steel canopy, an updated interpretation of the Hornbostel eave overhang. The flat roof provides the future floor for a 4-story expansion. The entire facility has been planned with current and future computer and satellite communications technology in mind. Polished terrazzo and honed English slate with extensive wood trim and texture plaster walls establish the vocabulary of the interiors
	*Project Data* Completion Date: 1993 Total Area: 60,000 sf