The $112 million HSSC brings non-fine arts humanities and social studies departments together in one building to create innovative learning spaces that encourage multi-disciplinary collaboration, active inquiry, student research and “intellectual collisions.”
Thirty-nine technology-rich classrooms and inquiry labs and 145 faculty offices and dedicated research spaces are grouped into five interdisciplinary neighborhoods.
Today’s Grinnell faculty teach in dynamic ways. They have moved from the unidirectional concept of “teaching” - professors lecture, students listen - to a more dialogic concept of “teaching and learning.” Whether the coursework involves reading and critiquing Renaissance poetry, analyzing and interpreting data on income inequality, or scrutinizing Stone Age artifacts, a Grinnell education today is a partnership: teachers helping students learn to pose critical questions and rigorously evaluate claims and evidence.
Pedagogical approaches may shift even within a single class session. Students may start by listening to a brief introduction from their professor, then break into small groups and use online tools to work with peers at another institution, before returning to the full group to report on their findings and conclusions. Students in the halls between classes may meet up and head to a semi-private breakout space to do project work—the so-called “intellectual collisions” that greatly enrich a student’s education.
Excellent teaching and learning of this kind naturally requires different types of spaces. It requires:
But the underlying vision is about more than bricks and mortar, desks and chairs. It is about making possible a new kind of teaching, attuned to emerging research about how best to support great learning.
Over the past century, much of Grinnell’s academic life has transpired in Alumni Recitation Hall and Carnegie Hall. Built in 1905 and 1916, respectively, the HSSC project renovated and revitalized these historic buildings.
The HSSC is a model of sustainability for Grinnell, the community, and the architecture industry. The building exceeds the American Institute of Architects 2030 Baseline, which is a set of goals and standards for reaching net zero emissions in the built environment.
Accessibility and usability were key considerations in the design of the HSSC, and the Innovation Inspires Inclusion program empowered students, faculty, and staff to learn universal design principals to remove as many barriers as possible and make accommodations for disabilities when needed.
The Kenneth A. Christiansen Outdoor Learning Spaces next to the HSSC South Pavilion and south of Kington Plaza regularly host classes and meetings. Four outdoor learning areas accommodate up to four classes at once.The spaces are accessible and have technological capabilities, thanks to the installation of electrical utilities.
The HSSC is host to a number of art installations that are educational, symbolic, and beautiful. For example, “Broken English” by Gregory Gomez ’80 welcomes visitors with a visual representation of the words of Yeats. Students worked with Haitian artist Edouard Duval-Carrié to create a “collage of histories” permanent installation in the HSSC.
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