Rider University partnered with Spiezle Architectural Group to create a relaxation room for students, dubbed "The Zen Den." Built with mental health and wellness in mind, the space serves students in need of recharging and rejuvenating their mental well-being.
The lounge came to life from repurposing an old computer lab on the university's Lawrenceville, N.J., campus. Neighbored with the Student Affairs and Office of Equity and Inclusion, the Zen Den sits in the heart of the university, aligning with Rider's wellness goals.
Spiezle collaborated with multiple university organizations to design the space. With input from student governments and facilities operations groups, the firm landed on a design that fits a vast array of students' needs.
The 'Zen Den' biophilic design and soothing features
The Zen Den is split into zones to accommodate different aspects of mental well-being. With its wide array of furniture, the room can be configured in various ways to allow students unique ways of interacting with the environment. For example, sensory features like hexagon-shaped touch lights offer a calming way to engage with simulated nature. A large forest mural adds to the lounge's biophilic influence as well, alongside its use of wood and neutral furniture color tones.
Additional features of the Zen Den include large bean bags, lounge seating, and hanging chairs. According to Rider University, the space also benefits neurodivergent students who may have difficulties with overstimulation.
"Spiezle's exceptional work designing and creating this space exemplifies the need for an intentional place to quiet one's mind and spirit to counter the busyness of the day and the external environment," said Dr. Leanna Fenneberg, Vice President of Student Affairs at Rider University. "We didn't want this to be a study space; we wanted it to be a place to breathe and rejuvenate so students can return to their schoolwork feeling refreshed and restored."
Read more about Rider University's "Zen Den" here.
Related Stories
| Jan 21, 2011
Nothing dinky about these residences for Golden Gophers
The Sydney Hall Student Apartments combines 125 student residences with 15,000 sf of retail space in the University of Minnesota’s historic Dinkytown neighborhood, in Minneapolis.
| Jan 21, 2011
Virginia community college completes LEED Silver science building
The new 60,000-sf science building at John Tyler Community College in Midlothian, Va., just earned LEED Silver, the first facility in the Commonwealth’s community college system to earn this recognition. The facility, designed by Burt Hill with Gilbane Building Co. as construction manager, houses an entire floor of laboratory classrooms, plus a new library, student lounge, and bookstore.
| Jan 20, 2011
Community college to prepare next-gen Homeland Security personnel
The College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, Ill., began work on the Homeland Security Education Center, which will prepare future emergency personnel to tackle terrorist attacks and disasters. The $25 million, 61,100-sf building’s centerpiece will be an immersive interior street lab for urban response simulations.
| Jan 19, 2011
Biomedical research center in Texas to foster scientific collaboration
The new Health and Biomedical Sciences Center at the University of Houston will facilitate interaction between scientists in a 167,000-sf, six-story research facility. The center will bring together researchers from many of the school’s departments to collaborate on interdisciplinary projects. The facility also will feature an ambulatory surgery center for the College of Optometry, the first of its kind for an optometry school. Boston-based firms Shepley Bulfinch and Bailey Architects designed the project.
| Dec 28, 2010
Project of the Week: Community college for next-gen Homeland Security personnel
The College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, Ill., began work on the Homeland Security Education Center, which will prepare future emergency personnel to tackle terrorist attacks and disasters. The $25 million, 61,100-sf building’s centerpiece will be an immersive interior street lab for urban response simulations.
| Dec 17, 2010
Sam Houston State arts programs expand into new performance center
Theater, music, and dance programs at Sam Houston State University have a new venue in the 101,945-sf, $38.5 million James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center. WHR Architects, Houston, designed the new center to connect two existing buildings at the Huntsville, Texas, campus.
| Dec 17, 2010
New engineering building goes for net-zero energy
A new $90 million, 250,000-sf classroom and laboratory facility with a 450-seat auditorium for the College of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign is aiming for LEED Platinum.
| Dec 17, 2010
How to Win More University Projects
University architects representing four prominent institutions of higher learning tell how your firm can get the inside track on major projects.
| Nov 23, 2010
The George W. Bush Presidential Center, which will house the former president’s library
The George W. Bush Presidential Center, which will house the former president’s library and museum, plus the Bush Institute, is aiming for LEED Platinum. The 226,565-sf center, located at Southern Methodist University, in Dallas, was designed by architect Robert A.M. Stern and landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh.
| Nov 9, 2010
Just how green is that college campus?
The College Sustainability Report Card 2011 evaluated colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada with the 300 largest endowments—plus 22 others that asked to be included in the GreenReportCard.org study—on nine categories, including climate change, energy use, green building, and investment priorities. More than half (56%) earned a B or better, but 6% got a D. Can you guess which is the greenest of these: UC San Diego, Dickinson College, University of Calgary, and Dartmouth? Hint: The Red Devil has turned green.