Officials at Michigan State University’s East Lansing Campus were concerned that Owen Hall, a mid-20th-century residence facility, was no longer attracting much interest from its target audience, graduate and international students. Although the facility enjoyed a choice location on campus, students were finding more modern and better appointed options off campus. Hoping to renew interest in its faded facility, MSU engaged the Building Team of SmithGroup (architect and MEP engineer) and Triangle Associates (CM) to significantly upgrade the facility’s community spaces. The university wanted its $9 million makeover to have a “Wow!” factor.
Bold colors, a modern lighting scheme, and an open floor plan inject new excitement and energy into the building while also staying true to the original 1961 aesthetic of clean lines, simple forms, and minimal decoration. The project team had only nine months (including planning, design, and construction) to inject 21st-century modernity into the residence.
Work focused on two floors and 39,000 sf of space within the seven-story, 60,000-sf facility. Creating synergy between the lower level and the first floor was key to making the space feel more open, so two cutouts were made in the floor between the two levels. The openings give residents better sightlines throughout both floors and views into the new dining center, game room, and social/lounge spaces.
The dining center became a multipurpose eating/study lounge with a coffee shop and an emporium-style servery named “Riverwalk Market.” A significantly upgraded game room/TV lounge on the lower level connects to the community kitchen, where students can prepare their own meals. Private study spaces are scattered throughout the rehabbed areas.
Lighting played a significant role in the facility’s redesign. A bold green ribbon with a white LED edge light runs throughout the space, uniting the two floors and acting as a circulation element. LEDs also make the acrylic reception desk glow. Track lighting and general ambient lighting are used throughout. Despite the lighting’s high design, the system performs 26% below ASHRAE standards.
“The team did its job well,” said Reconstruction Awards judge Martha Bell, FAIA, LEED AP, principal, Tilton, Kelly+Bell, Chicago. “The facility is compelling and attractive to students, and the renovation is true to the building’s 1960s roots.” BD+C
PROJECT SUMMARY
Building Team
Submitting firm: SmithGroup (architect, MEP engineer)
Owner: Michigan State University
CM: Triangle Associates
General Information
Size: 39,000 gsf
Construction cost: $9 million
Construction period: May 2008 to August 2009
Delivery method: CM
Related Stories
| Jan 7, 2015
How you can help improve the way building information is shared
PDFs are the de facto format for digital construction documentation. Yet, there is no set standard for how to produce PDFs for a project, writes Skanska's Kyle Hughes.
Smart Buildings | Jan 7, 2015
Best practices for urban infill development: Embrace the region's character, master the pedestrian experience
If an urban building isn’t grounded in the local region’s character, it will end up feeling generic and out-of-place. To do urban infill the right way, it’s essential to slow down and pay proper attention to the context of an urban environment, writes GS&P's Joe Bucher.
| Jan 6, 2015
Construction permits exceeded $2 billion in Minneapolis in 2014
Two major projects—a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings NFL team and the city’s Downtown East redevelopment—accounted for about half of the total worth of the permits issued.
| Jan 6, 2015
Snøhetta unveils design proposal of the Barack Obama Presidential Center Library for the University of Hawaii
The plan by Snøhetta and WCIT Architecture features a building that appears square from the outside, but opens at one corner into a rounded courtyard with a pool, Dezeen reports.
| Jan 5, 2015
Another billionaire sports club owner plans to build a football stadium in Los Angeles
Kroenke Group is the latest in a series of high-profile investors that want to bring back pro football to the City of Lights.
| Jan 5, 2015
Beyond training: How locker rooms are becoming more like living rooms
Despite having common elements—lockers for personal gear and high-quality sound systems—the real challenge when designing locker rooms is creating a space that reflects the attitude of the team, writes SRG Partnership's Aaron Pleskac.
| Jan 2, 2015
Illustrations of classic architecture bring in the new year with style
New York-based designer Xinran Ma has illustrated a New Year's greeting card that assembles pieces of various brutalist and modernist architecture.
| Jan 2, 2015
Construction put in place enjoyed healthy gains in 2014
Construction consultant FMI foresees—with some caveats—continuing growth in the office, lodging, and manufacturing sectors. But funding uncertainties raise red flags in education and healthcare.
| Dec 30, 2014
A simplified arena concept for NBA’s Warriors creates interest
The Golden State Warriors, currently the team with the best record in the National Basketball Association, looks like it could finally get a new arena.
| Dec 30, 2014
The future of healthcare facilities: new products, changing delivery models, and strategic relationships
Healthcare continues to shift toward Madison Avenue and Silicon Valley as it revamps business practices to focus on consumerism and efficiency, writes CBRE Healthcare's Patrick Duke.
