Columbus Music Hall

Indiana University- Bloomington

Project idea

The Music Community Hall in Columbus, Indiana is a response to the need for inclusive public infrastructure that celebrates local music, fosters community connection, and restores ecological balance. The project is situated on a constrained site: a former city storage facility located within both a floodway and a utility easement, adjacent to Noblitt Park and the People Trail. The concept is rooted in the idea of melody, using rhythm and repetition as spatial and experiential tools. The goal was to create a welcoming civic destination where people of all ages can gather, make and experience music, and reconnect with nature.

Design challenges included navigating site limitations due to flood risk and easement setbacks, while still offering accessible and flexible community spaces. The project reframes these constraints as opportunities to embed resilience and openness. Inspired by the natural flow of music and movement, the building is organized as a linear composition that invites the public into the park and frames a shared experience of sound, nature, and place.

Project description

The Music Community Hall is designed as an extension of Noblitt Park, not as a standalone object. Its linear form follows the edge of the site, creating a soft threshold between the neighborhood and the greenway. A tree-lined public plaza runs alongside the building, guiding visitors from the community toward the park while offering shaded places to gather, perform, or rest. The center includes rehearsal spaces, classrooms, a flexible performance hall, indoor gardens, and open-air arcades for casual engagement.

Environmentally, the building incorporates passive daylighting, natural ventilation, and deep overhangs to moderate seasonal conditions. A rooftop solar array offsets energy use, while a rainwater harvesting system supplies irrigation and non-potable water. Stormwater is managed with bioswales, permeable pavers, and site grading that slows and filters runoff.

The landscape transforms a previously paved site into a living extension of the park. Local and pollinator-friendly trees and plants support habitat and seasonal biodiversity. The green roof and plaza restore permeability and invite birds and insects. Together, these elements connect the community center to its surroundings both ecologically and socially.

Technical information

The Music Community Center’s structure mainly uses glue laminated timber beams and wooden columns for a warm, sustainable envelope. Operable windows and clerestory openings support natural ventilation within this mostly wooden framework.

The auditorium and the long central wall, both constructed from hempcrete and low carbon concrete, serve as thermal mass, providing passive temperature regulation and acoustic separation. These concrete elements stabilize the indoor environment while the timber structure ensures flexibility and reduced embodied carbon.

This hybrid system balances strength, energy efficiency, and tactile quality, creating a durable, low impact building designed for comfort and sustainability.

Documentation

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