Amy Gutmann Hall, Data Science & AI Building

The University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Science needed a new home for students and researchers studying the complex world of artificial intelligence and data science. Because people in this field spend so much time in the digital realm, Penn wanted Amy Gutmann Hall, named in honor of the university’s longest-serving president, to promote human-centered collaboration. 

Architects were challenged to balance the solitary aspects of the technical work that takes place within the building with the University’s desire to connect the students, scientists, and researchers with each other. The location itself also presented challenges. The long and thin urban infill site, adjacent to a parking garage, required a tall, narrow structure. And, because it is located outside the campus core, Penn wanted an inviting building that distinguished the program and encouraged students to walk the extra distance.

This beautiful six-story structure met the objectives, in part because architects chose mass timber. Using the warmth of wood to promote human connection, the designers of Amy Gutmann Hall redefined how data scientists learn and connect, surrounding them with bright, open spaces and natural materials.

The Type III-A, 116,000-square-foot building blends sustainability with efficiency, leveraging the biophilic and environmental benefits of wood construction with other performance-based design features such as natural daylighting, energy-efficient systems, and more. The mass timber system of cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels and glue-laminated timber (glulam) beams and columns selectively incorporates structural steel to address long spans at the auditorium, exterior columns, and stairs. The team emphasized material efficiency throughout, exposing structural wood wherever possible and integrating elegant timber braced frames as part of the lateral system. 

The first floor includes a student commons, IoT devices lab, large lecture hall, group study areas, and a quiet reading room. Levels two and three house teaching labs, classrooms, additional commons space, and the data science and AI hub, where university researchers and private sector innovators can work side by side. The upper three floors are organized as flexible research neighborhoods designed to encourage interaction, adaptability, and exchange across disciplines. Rather than isolating teams, the layout promotes a vibrant, connected research community. 

Amy Gutmann Hall has allowed the University of Pennsylvania to centralize their data science and artificial intelligence resources, making data analysis tools more accessible to the entire university community. The building design itself promotes cross-disciplinary collaboration, while the warmth of the wood creates a welcoming learning environment that encourages people to engage with each other.