In Flint, Mich., Kettering University opened its new $63 million Learning Commons, designed by Stantec. The new facility will support collaboration, ideation, and digital technology for the STEM-focused higher learning institution.
The four-story, 105,000-sf building includes an open-air atrium as well as a skylight designed to fill the entire interior with natural light. The first and second floors feature public gathering, dining, and collaborative spaces.
The third and fourth floors offer additional collaborative spaces and areas for research, student support, media resources, individual focus, and group project work. Other elements include a 200-seat multimedia auditorium and an overnight suite for guest professors and lecturers.
The facility also features more than a dozen spaces that serve as collaborative study and team rooms, with comfortable and functional seating for students, faculty, and staff, as well as digital and analog work tools. Two Knowledge Bars host a fully digital library, with more than 900,000 e-books, 100,000 e-journals, and 100-plus databases.
A 1,600-sf rooftop garden will reduce runoff and lower temperatures on its surface and the surrounding area.
Stantec’s design of the Learning Commons reflects the school’s longevity while offering durability for the years ahead.
“The Stantec team focused on giving the new facility a timeless and elegant design. The interior has been strategically designed to provide optimum flexibility, with power and technology woven throughout. The building can easily transform to meet the needs of students and faculty, while also allowing for easy adaptability to future programs or space reconfigurations,” Stantec said in a statement.
On the Building Team:
Owner: Kettering University
Design architect and architect of record: Stantec
MEP and structural engineer: Stantec
Civil/site engineer: Spalding DeDecker
Landscape architect: Michael J. Dul & Associates
Technology: NV5
General contractor/construction manager: Clark Construction Company
Related Stories
| Jan 19, 2012
BOKA Powell-designed facility at Texas A&M Bryan campus
The new facility provides programs for the Texas A&M Health Science Center, the Texas Brain and Spine Institute, Mary Crowley Cancer Research Centers, and Blinn College Allied Health programs.
| Jan 4, 2012
Shawmut Design & Construction awarded dorm renovations at Brown University
Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2012, and will be completed by December 2012.
| Jan 3, 2012
New Chicago hospital prepared for pandemic, CBR terror threat
At a cost of $654 million, the 14-story, 830,000-sf medical center, designed by a Perkins+Will team led by design principal Ralph Johnson, FAIA, LEED AP, is distinguished in its ability to handle disasters.
| Dec 20, 2011
Gluckman Mayner Architects releases design for Syracuse law building
The design reflects an organizational clarity and professional sophistication that anticipates the user experience of students, faculty, and visitors alike.
| Dec 19, 2011
HGA renovates Rowing Center at Cornell University
Renovation provides state-of-the-art waterfront facility.
| Dec 16, 2011
Goody Clancy-designed Informatics Building dedicated at Northern Kentucky University
The sustainable building solution, built for approximately $255-sf, features innovative materials and intelligent building systems that align with the mission of integration and collaboration.
| Dec 5, 2011
Fraser Brown MacKenna wins Green Gown Award
Working closely with staff at Queen Mary University of London, MEP Engineers Mott MacDonald, Cost Consultants Burnley Wilson Fish and main contractor Charter Construction, we developed a three-fold solution for the sustainable retrofit of the building.
| Dec 2, 2011
Goody Clancy awarded Ohio State residential project
The project, which is focused on developing a vibrant on-campus community of learning for OSU undergraduates.
| Nov 23, 2011
Griffin Electric completes Gwinnett Tech project
Accommodating up to 3,000 students annually beginning this fall, the 78,000-sf, three-story facility consists of thirteen classrooms and twelve high-tech laboratories, in addition to several lecture halls and faculty offices.