Rhode Island School of Design – Waterman Building
Modern Systems for a Historic Campus Landmark
The Waterman Building is where RISD began. Completed in 1892 as the school’s first permanent home, the four-story Venetian Renaissance-inspired brick structure at the foot of College Hill today houses studio space, classrooms, and the Edna W. Lawrence Nature Lab—a one-of-a-kind resource holding more than 80,000 preserved natural science specimens alongside microscopy and aquatic systems unmatched at any art and design institution in the country.
- Location
- Providence, RI
- Owner
- Rhode Island School of Design
- Architect
- CannonDesign
TOCCI’s scope encompassed a complete mechanical and electrical systems upgrade across all 21,000 square feet and four floors, with new energy-efficient makeup air unit and roof-mounted structural steel supports engineered to carry modern mechanical equipment on a structure never designed for it—all without altering the exterior character that has defined the building for more than a century. Working around live specimens, sensitive scientific equipment, and continuous student and faculty activity in the Nature Lab required precise scheduling and rigorous dust and vibration control throughout.
The result is a building that performs to contemporary standards while reading, from the street and from within, exactly as it always has.
Infinite possibilities in defined spaces
Let’s work together to future-proof your next project to perform and delight.