College Hall is the symbolic front door of Smith College and is the image most associated with the college. T|G was assigned with the task of substantially improving pedestrian safety and accessibility, while at the same time enhancing the first and primary image that most people see when arriving on campus.

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Incorporating adequate sidewalks of sufficient width and separated from the roadway to increase safety required the installation of retaining walls. As this encroached on the existing 125+ year old Elm trees, a unique and sensitive layout had to be implemented to maintain the required distances from the trees. By using historically appropriate materials the walls and steps create a foreground to the building which appears to have always been there. The masonry and metal restoration of the existing Grecourt Gates along with the burial of utilities and removal of haphazard signage completed the overall aesthetic improvements while reinforcing the historic character of the College’s most iconic view.