According to Principal Architect Charles Rose, the goal of the project was to create a signature building on campus that would also blend in seamlessly. “The use of limestone was an attempt to make these forms feel at home on the campus,†said the architect. “We wanted to have a material continuity with some existing buildings, but also to provide a far more contemporary look. We wanted venerability, but at the same time wanted to use material with more interest and more color. There is really some wonderful variation in the stone we chose. I think there are some fossilized elements to the stone, and warmth to the color that make the limestone very appealing.â€
The stone was used primarily on south elevation, since the architects wanted that portion of the building -- which faces onto a public landscape -- to have a distinguishing facade.