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Swarthmore College Dining and Community Commons

Mass Timber Hub for a Carbon-Conscious Campus

Project Location

Swarthmore, PA

Client

Swarthmore College

Area

90,000 SF

Services

Architecture, interiors, MEP engineering, high-performance design, campus engagement

For decades, Sharples Dining Hall was a beloved campus landmark, fostering connection and tradition. As Swarthmore’s student body grew, the College envisioned a dynamic, inclusive, and sustainable dining hub – transforming the historic facility into Sharples Commons while introducing a new dining center to serve the evolving campus needs. Our design achieves this vision through a bold architectural statement centered around mass timber, creating a warm, biophilic environment that promotes student well-being while advancing the College’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2035. The project is also targeting Living Building Challenge Petal Certification, reinforcing its commitment to sustainability.

Designed as more than just a dining facility, the Dining Center and revitalized Sharples Commons redefine the student experience. Transparency and connectivity are central to the design, with expansive glazing, soaring ceilings, and natural materials underlining a strong sense of place within the landscape of the Scott Arboretum. A deeply collaborative engagement process – including over 500 individual interviews and student-led workshops – informed the design to create a space that prioritizes both social interaction and quiet retreat. The Dining Center features ten robust food platforms, including allergy-aware, vegan, and international options, designed for engagement and choice. Sharples Commons extends beyond dining, serving as the campus’s “living room” – a flexible, welcoming environment for student collaboration, study, and gathering.

This project involved the renovation and transformation of the historic Sharples Dining Hall into Sharples Commons, alongside the addition of a new dining center to serve Swarthmore’s expanding student body. Spanning 60,000 SF and completed in two phases, this project features an 800-seat Dining Center and the 30,000 SF Sharples Commons – a dynamic hub for student life. Mass timber is the structural backbone of the design, significantly reducing embodied carbon while enhancing durability and warmth. Targeting Living Building Challenge Petal Certification  and designed to support Swarthmore’s “To Zero by 35” net-zero carbon neutrality initiative, the facility integrates an all-electric kitchen, a rooftop solar array supplying 40% of energy needs, and a campus-wide geo-exchange system. Expansive glazing, biophilic materials, and a 100-seat outdoor dining area reinforce student well-being. Sharples Commons features multipurpose lounges, student meeting rooms, and the Office of Student Engagement, fostering inclusivity and campus connection. By integrating mass timber, Red List-free materials, and high-performance energy systems, the project stands as a national model for sustainable, carbon-conscious campus development.

Fostering Campus Connection

Blending architectural warmth with high-performance goals, Swarthmore College’s new Dining and Community Commons elevates how students eat, connect, recharge, and thrive. Every element – from the timber structure to the 100-seat outdoor dining terrace – was crafted to enhance the student experience and create a vibrant hub rooted in the Swarthmore landscape.



01
Campus Engagement

Informing Design through Dialogue

A deeply collaborative, research-driven process included more than 55 campus-wide meetings – among them 500+ one-on-one student interviews, focus groups, open forums on sustainability and food service, and town halls with faculty and staff. These conversations shaped the vision and features of the new facilities, ensuring a direct response to student needs for connection, refuge, and belonging.

02
Dining Reimagined

Mass Timber Warmth Meets Culinary Choice

Swarthmore’s new Dining Center seats 800 and features 10 diverse food platforms, including allergy-aware, vegan, and global options. Aiming for a 40% plant-based menu, it reflects student input and a commitment to ethical dining. Mass timber, natural light, and views of the Scott Arboretum create a warm, biophilic setting. With an all-electric kitchen, rooftop solar, and geo-exchange system, the center is built for flexibility, sustainability, and student wellbeing.

03
Sharples Community Commons

From Cafeteria to Campus Hub

The renovated Sharples Community Commons transforms a former cafeteria into a dynamic student hub with lounges, study areas, meeting rooms, and the Office of Student Engagement. Retail dining options offer late-night access and activate the building beyond traditional dining hours, reinforcing its role as a social anchor on campus. Warm timber, natural light, and integrated tech create a flexible, inviting space that meets student needs for connection, collaboration, and relaxation beyond classrooms and residence halls.

04
Setting Sustainability Standards

Achieving Carbon Neutrality Goals

Swarthmore College set Living Building Challenge Petal Certification as the project goal, focusing on beauty, equity, and energy. While peer dining facilities operate at an average energy use intensity of 500 kBtu/SF/yr, this project targets 300 for kitchens and 50 for non-kitchen spaces, averaging 85 kBtu/SF/yr overall. Our design features all-electric cooking, on-site solar, geo-exchange, and Red List–free materials, advancing the College’s goal of a carbon-neutral campus and fostering a culture of care that empowers students to live sustainably.

Rooftop solar panels at a higher education university campus; college campus, sustainability planning
05
Celebrating Legacy and Tradition

Maintaining a Sense of Place

The project honors Swarthmore’s sense of place by preserving Sharples Hall’s central role, integrating Arboretum views, and introducing a warm mass timber structure. The reimagined design improves accessibility and circulation, restoring the building as a welcoming hub that fosters belonging, celebrates tradition, and deepens connections among students and their environment.

Awards

2025 IIDA BEST Award: Serve – Higher Education

International Interior Design Association, Rocky Mountain Chapter

2025 SCUP Excellence Awards: Honorable Mention

Society for College and University Planning Excellence Awards

2024 American Architecture Award: Restoration/Renovation

American Architecture Awards

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