Our work at Claremont McKenna College, a private, residential liberal arts campus and part of the Claremont Consortium, focused on the revitalization of the College’s Mid-Quad Residential District. With residence halls built in the late 1960’s/early 1970’s, the district was in need of significant renovation – both of its buildings and its open spaces. Our efforts included the renovation of five existing residence halls as well as the design of three major building additions. The goal – to modernize both the internal and external aspects of the buildings, while creating a more harmonious, contemporary architectural style, reinforcing the sense of a student-focused environment. Enhanced and new front doors, transparent vertical circulation, exterior sun shading and a new color palette give each building its own identity, while also establishing a cohesive architectural image. Adding to this, is the much improved interface between the College and the surrounding community. Prior to the renovations, these buildings “turned their back” on their neighbors, with blank facades, limited transparency and little or no landscape along 6th Street. By renovating the south and west facades to provide much more visual transparency, combined with new signage and landscape, the College today fits much more harmoniously with its surrounding neighbors.