Until the mid-1980s, the visual arts program at Sarah Lawrence College—a small, private, liberal arts institution located in Bronxville, New York, was completely housed in one building. The program has since overflowed into additional makeshift spaces throughout the campus. Ennead Architects’ new building design brings the visual arts department under one roof, accommodating its varied needs while meeting new safety and environmental standards.

The 60,000-square-foot Monika A. and Charles A. Heimbold Visual Arts Center has 6 studio spaces that are used interchangeably for sculpture, painting, and visual fundamentals, as well as faculty offices, class-rooms, soundstage, darkrooms, a visual resources library, and a 200-seat auditorium.

A comprehensive environmental graphics and wayfinding sign program was designed for the Center which includes Heritage Plaza—a 200-foot concrete wall located at the approach to the building entrance and incised with over 200 names commemorating past and present visual arts faculty. Design criteria and standards were also developed for all donor recognition requirements.

This project received a LEED Silver certification from the U. S. Green Building Council and was recognized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the American Institute of Architects (AIA)/New York Chapter, Communication Arts, Graphic Design USA, segdDESIGN, the Society for Environmental Graphic Design (SEGD), and Step Inside Design for Design Excellence in Environmental Graphic Design.