A Visit with Christine Lintott, Architect

On a Friday in May, Brentwood’s Art History AP11 class had the opportunity to spend time with Ms. Christine Lintott, the architect of Brentwood’s iconic new building, the Centre for Art and Humanities. In no time, we busied ourselves asking plenty of questions about key features of the building and focusing on architectural terms like domestic, functional, and monumental, and how these were of key importance to Ms. Lintott as she considered which components would emerge in the construction of the building. While slowly perusing the building, inside and out, we discussed what she had considered when designing the building and what challenges arose as it became reality. Form and function were widely discussed, as the building captures both. Ms. Lintott expressed the importance of looking at buildings as spaces for humans to function in, not objects. Striking a balance of being functional while also beautiful was something that always had to be considered. After questions were answered, Ms. Lintott took some time to tell us fun facts about the building that truly made it special, and how she took some of her personal habits into consideration when deciding on details for the interior. For example, she added wooden railing along the corridors and staircases, purposefully placed for viewers to lean against as they appreciate the art on the walls. Another example is her creation of eddies going off of each hallway like small coves before dividing into classrooms, to create a steady change from the spacious gallery-styled hall to the more enclosed classrooms, as well as creating an entryway reminiscent of a passage that opens up into the main hall without creating too sudden a change of environment. Many don’t realize just how many cool features the building has to offer; it contains numerous small special features that can be considered both functional and beautiful such as an artistically disguised irrigation system that runs through a lily, a specially designed science loft, and a glass suspension system that runs like a spine down the ceiling. We had the chance to learn what Ms. Lintott loved most about the amazing place she designed, and, ironically, it turned out to be Campbell Common, the space that has been created between Crooks Hall and the Centre for Art and Humanities and which has become the new heart of the campus. It is a space where students, staff and faculty can learn, play, and be active, while surrounded by the Brentwood atmosphere with some of our most beautiful buildings. This is so much more than just a place for learning, it is the ultimate places to experience growth in the most beautiful of locations. The Centre for Art and Humanities is Brentwood’s newest treasure. Bobbie De Wet, Allard ‘14