Baker House

Baker House is a building for student residences, designed by Alvar Aalto and located at MIT University in Boston. The curving form of the building protects the residents from the busy street along Charles River by having each window at an angle to the street, whilst providing each room with excellent views of the river. Circulation is located on the façade facing MIT allowing the building to relate to the activity of the university. The staircases are designed to allow unobstructed views along their entire length, increasing the visibility of the students moving through the building and increasing the opportunities for informal interaction. The brick building with timber window frames has a pleasant domestic feel which reminds of early 20th-century Dutch housing. The planning provides important communal areas and a variety of room types for different students, increasing the sense of community and diversity within the building.