In association with Ann Beha Architects, the Student Life and Performance Center at the New England Conservatory (NEC) is a vibrant new setting for academic and community life. The 10-story mixed-use building includes a 200-seat black box opera theater, performance spaces, rehearsal rooms, a library and a dining commons, as well as 250 student residences. The building creates an internal spine for enhanced connectivity across the campus, while an open stair establishes a vertical corridor between floors. The building also gives NEC a new presence in the neighborhood, transforming the two-block streetscape into an active destination, with seating, trees, and expanded sidewalks. The exterior features variegated terra cotta tiles, expansive glass at street level, and stainless-steel screen cladding. The project is anticipated LEED Gold certification.