The Becker School of Design & Technology will have a new home at Clark in Fall 2023 with the opening of the Center for Media Arts, Computing, and Design. The building will house not only the BSDT, but also the Computer Science Department and some programs within the Department of Visual and Performing Arts.

As a hub for interdisciplinary research and projects, the Center will have high-end computer labs with double-monitor stations; two virtual- and augmented-reality areas for motion capture and behind-the-scenes functions; a production studio; areas for robotics, makerspaces, and game art; a video game library for play and research; and a gallery for student work. It will be located just southeast of the Strassler Center, between Woodland and Hawthorne streets, and its main entrance will be oriented toward the Goddard Library.

More important than the bells and whistles, however, are the opportunities for multi-department collaboration within the Center’s spaces. “Students will have a place to congregate with students from other disciplines, and I think that’s probably the greatest feature of this New building,” says Paul Cotnoir, dean of the Becker School.

The 70,000-square-foot building will include two wings. Clark is pursuing LEED Gold certification, and the Center will rely primarily on geothermal wells for heating and cooling.

The design firm Ayers Saint Gross facilitated extensive engagement with Clark faculty, students, and staff to envision the scope and structure of the new building, which broke ground last April.