'Preserving Out Past, Building Our Future.'

The Campaign for The Boston Architectural College’s Campus

A young kid enjoys an interactive, hands-on feature of the Doshi Exhibit at the BAC McCormick Gallery while his father watches.

Access and Excellence Ensuring a Campus for the Future

Our commitment to making high-quality education accessible means creating an environment where every student has the tools, resources, and inspiration to thrive. This campaign will ensure that our campus continues to be an inclusive space, offering dynamic learning experiences for the next generation of architects and designers.

The Campaign in Brief

At the core of this campaign is our mission: accessibility and excellence for all. This capital campaign is a crucial step in advancing that mission, while addressing the needs of our campus and our city.

The BAC's 320 Newbury Street building 3-D model displayed for the 2015 McCormick Gallery exhibit Concrete Visions: The BAC and Boston City Hall Design Competitions.

The Campus as a Vital Learning Lab

Our campus is not just a place of study—it’s an active learning lab. With this campaign, we are transforming our buildings into a state-of-the-art environment that will serve as a teaching model for climate responsive, sustainable design. The goals include:

A diagram of how connecting the 'Geothermal' wells, installed in 2014 as part of the BAC's Green Alley initiative, serves the College's core buildings and leads the BAC toward a net zero campus energy goal. Geothermal wells use the earth's core energy, roughly 55 degrees, to pump water through a series of pipes into a heat pump within the building to heat and cool the building using the earth's core temperature to either inject or reject heat.

Decarbonization

The BAC is setting the standard for geothermal innovation! In 2012, we installed eight geothermal wells, each reaching 1,500 feet below ground, ahead of its time. Now, we're taking it a step further by connecting these wells, modernizing outdated systems, and integrating cutting-edge geothermal technology. This forward-thinking approach will reduce our carbon footprint and demonstrate the power of resilient, sustainable design for the future.

The BAC's historic 951 Boylston Street building.

Historic Preservation

Our Boylston Street building is an architectural gem built in 1887, and through careful restoration, the BAC will preserve its historical significance, while ensuring it remains a vital part of Boston’s future. We will restore the brownstone masonry, slate roof, and install high-efficiency replicas of original windows, preserving this Richardsonian Romanesque landmark designed by Arthur Vinal.

Our Challenge

Our campus buildings are more than just structures—they are symbols of innovation and inclusion. However, these cherished spaces are aging. The outdated systems in our Newbury Street building and the deteriorating condition of our Boylston Street building threaten their functionality, sustainability, and our ability to inspire future generations.

Students at the BAC (collage). Students interact while waiting for the start of a lecture in Cascieri Hall (top left). A students smile at the Academic Honors and Awards Ceremony (top right). A student and her young daughter smile at the Academic Honors and Awards reception in the McCormick Gallery (bottom left). A student smiles while taking notes on paper in the computer lab at the BAC (bottom right).

The Vision: A Campus for the Future

This campaign is our chance to transform our campus into a living laboratory while preserving Boston’s architectural history—enhancing learning spaces and reducing our carbon footprint.