BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
The John D. O’Bryant African American Institute at Northeastern University in Boston is an important center of academic, cultural and social life for students of color on campus and throughout Boston. The institute features state-of-the-art facilities including classrooms and large assembly spaces, a computer lab, library and archival space for rare books and documents.
The 15,000 sf Institute is a discrete component within a larger mixed-use building with additional classrooms and an honors dormitory. Working in collaboration with William Rawn Associates, Stull and Lee met the challenge to emphasize the distinct identity of the African American Institute within the overall composition, most notably with the design of a dramatic two story colonnade whose form was inspired by African architectural precedents.