EF Academy is a private boarding school located on a converted seminary in Thornwood, New York. Allied Works first completed a campus master plan in 2014 to continue the transformation of a repurposed corporate training facility into a complete academic campus, with indoor and outdoor spaces for learning, discovery and social interaction. The residence hall is the first new building to be completed in the expansion project and plays a key role in establishing the spatial and organizational structure of the new academic campus.
Sited on a hill adjacent to an existing classroom building, the new residence transforms a former parking lot into a new landscaped quadrangle. The open space creates a social center for the campus while engaging the surrounding landscape. The 250-bed residence hall is planned around small-scale living groups, allowing for students to have a feeling of home and community. The facility contains social and study spaces of multiple scales, accommodating various group and individual activities. All interior spaces are filled with abundant daylight, provide views of the surrounding hills and Hudson River Valley beyond.