Diamond Building

The Diamond Building, which opened at the south end of the Colby Green on February 5, 2007, houses four social science departments (anthropology, economics, government, and sociology), four interdisciplinary programs (African-American studies, environmental studies, education, international studies), and the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement. By bringing together these departments and programs, the Diamond Building provides a vibrant, central location for the exploration of social, economic, and political issues from a wide variety of perspectives.

The impact of the Diamond Building extends beyond the social sciences as faculty and students from other disciplines use its facilities. It has a large and videoconference-enabled auditorium, group workrooms, seminar rooms, laboratory space, classrooms, faculty offices, and student research rooms, making it the largest and most adaptable academic building on campus. The Geographic Information Systems (GIS) laboratory and computer classroom offer state-of-the-art technology for research and teaching.

In 2003, Trustee Robert E. Diamond Jr. '73 made one of the largest individual gifts Colby has ever received—$6 million toward the construction of the building.

Built of Colby brick with a copper roof and the familiar cream-colored trim, the Diamond Building reflects and updates Colby's traditional Georgian architecture that dominates the academic quadrangle across Mayflower Hill Drive. The College anticipates that the building will be certified by the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System, the national standard for high-performance, sustainable buildings.