Wellesley College
whitin observatory
Wellesley, Massachusetts
“[The observatory is] a poster child for how you can redesign space in a cost-effective, historically relevant, and sustainable way.”
The Whitin Observatory has been home to the astronomy department at Wellesley College since 1900. The original building was built on a remote hill within the campus arboretum— far from the heart of campus— in order to minimize light pollution from neighboring facilities that could interfere with nighttime observations. designLAB’s renovation and addition retains Whitin Observatory’s identity as a 19th century pavilion amid the lush, bucolic woodland, while enhancing its mission, functionality, and identity.
The addition houses a teaching lab, which serves students across departments, as well as office and support spaces for faculty. The renovation restored the original library and established a new computer lab and seminar room, returning lost spaces to their full potential.
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Type: Renovation & Addition
Size: 9,000 SF
Status: Completed, 2011
Sustainability: LEED Silver
Photography: Peter Vanderwarker, Richard Howard, Lisa Abitbol
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2013 Tsongas Award, Preservation Massachusetts
2012 Merit Award for Design Excellence, AIA New England
2012 Honor Award for Design Excellence, Boston Society for Architecture
The 1960's classroom addition was re-clad to unify and simplify the exterior composition.
A hallway was removed to reinstate the seminar room, complete with fireplace and window displays.
The abandoned north doorway is now a feature in the specialty classroom.
The new classroom addition wraps the north face.
The original 12" refractor telescope is still in operation.
The library was restored and supports small seminars, quiet study and casual gatherings. It's a popular destination for many groups and departments on campus.
Sweeping views to the arboretum are as much a part of the interior experience as the historic marble backdrop.
Etched mirror glass reflects the surroundings and, turned into window jambs, bounces a soft light inside.
While the roof was replaced to introduce insulation, the original stamped rain diverters were retained.
A new "gallery walk" connects the original rooms to the new specialty classroom. The old windows (which were buried inside walls during the 1960's) serve as display cases for instruments and artifacts connected to the history of the astronomy department.
impact
The observatory has long played the role as gateway to the sciences for those who otherwise might not approach it. With the introduction of geosciences and earth sciences, it now formally supports cross-discipline collaboration. The library and specialty classrooms draw many programs outside the sciences, hosting things such as campus tours, writing classes, and symposia on important topics like diversity and inclusion. Through its reinvigoration, Whitin Observatory remains a place of pride for the Wellesley community.
The new 0.7m (27") reflector telescope supports research initiatives such as monitoring a supernova or searching for planets orbiting in other solar systems.
Photograph of the Pac Man nebula, taken by Savanna Cary '22 using the Planewave telescope.
The observatory sits prominently atop Observatory Hill at the end of the Hunnewell Arboretum.
"It must be white marble...for White is symbolic of this project," the donor said, speaking of the original owner of the first telescope installed in the observatory (White), the building's benefactor (Whitin), and the original professor & Head of Astronomy (Whiting).
The front door of the observatory fell out of use with the advent of the science center to the south.
Many of the original features of the library were restored, including a new decorative rug.
Artifacts are showcased within the reclaimed window display cases.
Varied presentation tools make the specialty classroom an engaging space for learning.
A chalkboard panel in the doors of the restored library supports problem sets.
Geosciences professor works with students in the specialty classroom.
Students work together in the specialty classroom.
A lawn on Observatory Hill has been transformed into the College’s Edible Ecosystem Garden, which supports the study of environmental sciences.
The experimental garden on Observatory Hill includes a nut grove, fruit thickets, and an edible meadow, all low-lying so as not to interfere with observations.