The Studies Building was the physical manifestation of Black Mountain College’s experimental underpinnings. Designed by faculty member A. Lawrence Kocher, the Studies Building gave students a quiet room of their own to study, dream, and create in the otherwise highly communal environment of the progressive college. The building was constructed by students, faculty, and staff; they participated in everything from fundraising to physical construction. The Studies Building was so central to the Black Mountain College ethos that the story of the college and its legacies cannot be understood without a study of its most iconic building.
Since the college’s collapse in 1956, its Lake Eden Campus–and the Studies Building–have been used by Camp Rockmont, a summer camp for boys, while continuing to tell the story of BMC through tours and other programming. Site damage from Hurricane Helene in 2024, and a recent study of the building’s condition, have highlighted its vulnerability and urgent need for restoration. In 2026, World Monuments Fund selected it for their inaugural Irreplaceable America initiative, which recognized ten U.S. sites that demonstrate how heritage can shape the nation's future. This session offers the building’s incredible history and exciting plans for its restoration and re-use.
Michael Beggs is a designer and co-author of Weaving at Black Mountain College (Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center, 2023), and co-curator of the recent exhibition, Imaginary Landscapes: Black Mountain College Architecture and Design.
Chuck Flournoy is the Executive Director of the BMC Studies Building Foundation, a 501(c)3 committed to the restoration of the Studies Building. bmcsb.org