Cascadilla Ledge

Cornell University

Project idea

As technology diminishes the role of physical spaces for younger generations, could student housing take on the responsibility to tie intimate communities back together? This housing block rises above Cascadilla gorge to form a landscape of social spaces. Stairways scale up and trek through the gorge-like neighborhood, intertwining suites that would otherwise never have crossed paths; taking a hike through the neighborhood suddenly becomes an exciting leisure activity, especially since the rooftop park overlooks Cascadilla falls and Cayuga Lake.

Project description

Gazing up at the courtyards entrance, pedestrians will find that student amenity spaces arch above and over them. As they turn into this busy street corner, they are invited into a courtyard packed with retail, food, and beverage. The rooftop park gently lifts pedestrians out of the courtyard, through the trees, and onto the rooftop lawn emerging out of the forest canopy.

Technical information

The massing begins as a wedge rising above the gorge to catch the sunlight. The fragmented geometry taken from the geological context carves a pixelated courtyard out of the massing, thereby establish individuality for each of the units. Louvers wrap around the exterior to emphasize the emerging building's grain, which doubles as shading and privacy for the bedrooms. The massing concludes with this gradient of privacy from the bedrooms around the perimeter to the social spaces in the center.