Deerfield Academy
Temporary Dining Hall
Versatility and Daylighting
The project was born from a common campus dilemma: an immediate need for more space without the timeline or footprint of a permanent building. Our solution was a high-performance pavilion designed for a 24-month lifespan. It’s built to work hard today and be gone tomorrow, proving that temporary architecture can still be high-design.
Flexibility was key in the design. As the school’s needs were changing, the pavilion had to be completely adaptable. By keeping the floor plan open and the lighting fixtures understated, the space is able to easily transition between uses- a sun-drenched dining hall during the day and a venue for the school prom or a lecture series at night. Natural light plays a crucial role in our strategy. We integrated a series of skylights to move away from the "industrial" feel of most temporary buildings, leaving the space feeling bright, airy, and intentional.
Human scale in a soaring space
Large-scale temporary structures often feel like empty warehouses- impersonal, expansive and disconnected from the people who use them. We countered this by focusing on the "human zone"—the space from the floor to approximately 10 feet up. This is where the occupants experience the space most directly and the design can have the greatest impact.
We used a series of visual anchors- internal walls, furniture placement and lighting location- to create distinct rooms within the larger hall. These elements leave the space feeling intentional and cohesive rather than cavernous. A bold color strategy reinforces this effect. Using the school’s vibrant color palette on these lower walls and surfaces keeps the eye grounded and creates a sense of intimacy, even with massive ceilings overhead.
The Clean Exit
Equally important to how the pavilion functions is its exit strategy. Every component- from the foundation to the frame and complex temporary kitchens- was engineered for easy removal. Once its two-year mission was over, the structure was dismantled and the site was returned to being used as recreational fields as it was before.
