Student

Center
Design
Contents

VMDO Architects 2
Designing Vibrant Centers of Campus Life 5
Developing Community 7
Shaping Places for Interaction 8
Making an Impact on the Campus 13
Designing for Connections 16

Meeting 19
Providing for Flexibility and Ease of Use 20
Crafting Lively Public Space for Events 25

Dining 29
Providing Freshness, Access & Variety 30
Creating Dining for all Appetites & Venues 35
Weaving the Vitality of Dining into the Life of the Building 36

Gathering 39
Creating A Natural Place to Socialize 40
Fostering Study, Discussion and Collaborative Learning 45
Nurturing Culture and Exploration 48

Serving 51
Supporting Student Leaders 52
Supplying Students with their Core Needs 55

Sustaining 59
Integrating & Revealing Sustainable Design Strategies 60
Creating Meaningful Places 65

Featured Projects & Collaboration 66

2

VMDO Architects

As architects with 40 years of experience designing

student centers for educational institutions, we bring value
throughout the design and construction process. Our goal is
to oversee the design and construction of a long-term asset
for your campus. As your architect, we will:

Incorporate Constituent Input.

Successfully designing for an institution means incorporating the input of a variety of stakeholders. We understand how to engage a
complex network of constituents in a fluid and effective design process. Their involvement ensures that our buildings resonate with the
needs and culture of your particular collegiate community.

Attend to Critical Construction Details.

Our continuous work on student centers means we are familiar not just with their spaces, but also with their construction. We understand
what works and what doesn’t. We attend to the critical details so that your building will perform efficiently and effectively well into the future.

Design for the Campus.

We are committed to the long-term care and development of a campus. As stewards of a campus, we understand that our
buildings will make an impact on a place for years to come. We work hard to ensure that our design will both reflect and support a
thriving academic environment.
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Designing Vibrant
Centers for Campus

A new student union can mark and embody a genuine turning point
for a campus. It can synthesize the hopes and aspirations for an
institution; it can serve as both a needed symbol of an ambitious
future and a real sign of progress in defining a dynamic center of
campus life.

The result can bolster enrollment and student retention in that

a single successful building project can stand for an institution’s
commitment to student life and “put it on the map”.

Most union projects strive to make a place, and a way, for faculty,
staff, and students to continue the conversation started in the
classroom – and to gather together as a community.
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01

Developing
Community

Shaping Places for Interaction

Making an Impact on the Campus
Designing for Connections
8 Deve lop i ng Com m u n it y

Shaping Places
for Interaction

A successful student union creates a vital, active, and useful place for student interaction
and development. Best located in the very heart of the campus, the compelling passages
and memorable spaces of the union building shape a common and unifying experience
even though specific programs included in these buildings are purposefully mixed.

The spaces of a student center should range from the intimate scale of an individual
corner or a small meeting room to the community scale of a bustling dining hall. Weaving
these spaces together requires both logic and art, creating comfortable relationships and
an accommodating ease of use. Carefully organized spaces and programs lead naturally
to inclusive participation in the larger web of activity within the building making the
student center come alive.
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“As a practitioner and as a client, I have enjoyed
working with greatly talented architectural
firms. VMDO was one of the best firms in
Virginia within a few months of its organization...
Through the years, the firm has never lost sight
of the importance of attracting, training, and
retaining the brightest and the best. VMDO is
today stronger than it has ever been, from top to
bottom, and it is now, in my opinion, one of the
very best firms in the country.”

S am u e l A. And e rso n III, FA IA

Fo rm e r A rc h it ec t
U ni ve rs i ty o f Virginia
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 D ev elo p i n g Commu n i ty 13

Making an Impact
on the Campus

A student union can make a significant and welcoming campus place – one that draws
students in and encourages them to stay, to gather together, and to share experiences.
With an important emphasis placed on the quality of the campus, union projects tend
to define a recognizable “heart” or campus center that, in many ways, must embody the
culture of the institution.

This palpable need to establish an attractive, meaningful and memorable campus setting
demands an approach that grows out of the distinctive character of the place, integrates
the overall campus landscape, and produces a building that is a magnetic destination and
a brilliant beacon.
14

A careful approach to providing essential service

access ensures that the building sits comfortably
in its prominent location.
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16 Deve lop i ng Com m u n it y

Designing for
Connections

By pulling in prominent campus pathways and by opening up to active, programmed

outdoor spaces, a union building can reach out to its surroundings, provide a clear center
of gravity for campus activities, and carry forward the unique identity and individual
character of the institution.

A careful approach to providing essential service access ensures that the building sits
comfortably in its prominent location – right in the center of things – maintaining a
seamless, pedestrian campus landscape while still gaining access to the loading docks
and service drives needed to supply the building. A “see and be seen” factor permeates
successful unions. Transparent opportunities for interaction can bring the best aspects of
an institution to life and to light.
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02

Meeting

Providing for Flexibility + Ease of Use

Crafting Lively Public Space for Events
20 Me e t i ng

Providing for
Flexibility +
Ease of Use

With multiple groups using a meeting space throughout the day for a variety of purposes,
flexibility is critical. Intended for frequent set up and rearrangement, meeting rooms can
be equipped with the technology and furnishings to make transitions smooth and easy.

Technology that is seamlessly integrated into a room makes media for formal and
informal presentations accessible and intuitive. Easy access to food service allows these
spaces to host popular luncheon meetings. Artfully managing service issues, in concert
with a careful attention to furniture selection and configuration, will minimize staff time
devoted to preparing and re-configuring spaces while maximizing their utility.
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Intended for frequent set up and rearrangement,

meeting rooms can be equipped with the technology
and furnishings to make transitions smooth and easy.
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 M e e ti n g 25

Crafting Lively
Public Space
for Events

Designed for special occasions, celebrations, and receptions of all kinds, the quality and
character of event space should reflect their significance. Given their occasional nature,
these spaces can also become an important part of the daily life of a student center.

Appropriate furnishings and dedicated furniture storage space can support the transition
from daily to special event use. Thus, these rooms can be located in prominent building
locations, providing a handsome space for students to gather, read, relax, and dine on a
daily basis.
“The opening of the Rollins Campus Center will
transform the entire YHC experience. Students,
faculty, and staff now have a common area to
learn, meet, and gather to attend programs and
develop community. The students … call the
building the new ‘heart’ of the campus. In years
to come, I have no doubt that it will serve as the
core of the YHC community.”

Ang i S m i t h , J . D .
V ice P re s id e n t of Stu de nt D eve lo p m e nt
Yo u ng H arri s C o lle g e
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03

Dining

Providing Freshness, Access + Variety

Creating Dining for all Appetites + Venues
Weaving the Vitality of Dining into the Life of the Building
30 Dini ng

Providing Freshness,
Access + Variety

Dining facilities satisfy not only the basic need for food, but the deeper need for
nourishment. A multi-venue servery offers students the range of choices that can
personalize their dining experience, emphasizing a youthful approach that is appealing,
fresh and healthy.

Similarly, bringing the finishing of food preparation out of the kitchen and into the
open servery gives students a real sense of the freshness of their food, and provides an
opportunity for interaction with food service staff, who can become familiar faces and
friendly members of the daily dining experience.
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Dining facilities satisfy not only the

basic need for food, but the deeper
need for nourishment.
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 Di n i n g 35

Creating Dining
for all Appetites +
Venues

A variety of dining options enlivens the use of the union – from casual, ready-made
“grab-and-go” to formal, specially prepared meals for events. Options that suit different
personalities, eating needs, and payment options make all feel comfortable, welcome,
and engaged in the life of the campus.

Skillful interior design shapes dining environments that comfortably host a variety of
personalities and experiences, allowing different needs at different times to find their
place within the building. Color, texture, surface and furnishing all create the varied
moods of dining throughout the building – from calm and private for reading and study in
a quiet café to the energy and openness of enjoying a meal with a large group of friends in
a spacious dining room.
36 Dini ng

Weaving the Vitality

of Dining into the
Life of the Building

Dining options are essential to a successful student center. Quality food draws people into
the building. Sharing food sustains the special bond that can form as relationships begin
in a collegiate setting. However, the thoughtful design and arrangement of dining spaces
invites them to linger, to engage in conversation, and to become part of the activity.

A sense of openness and visibility is key. A range of dining options that are combined and
strategically overlapped with other union program can create a buzzing sense of vitality.
These programs can transform the environment into a lively campus with round-the-
clock student presence, on-campus extracurricular and weekend activities-all building an
educational and cultural community.
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04

Gathering

Creating a Natural Place to Socialize

Fostering Study, Discussion + Collaborative Learning
Nurturing Culture + Exploration
40 G at he r i ng

Creating a Natural
Place to Socialize

A sense of community goes a long way towards easing the transition from home to
college. Partnered with the activities of a dynamic student life program, the gathering
spaces of a campus center can support students in their social development through
their college years. A rich mix of uses generates the necessary buzz to draw in students in
the evenings and weekends.

Vibrant program spaces gather students together into common activities and contribute
to a sense of community and personal growth. The right types of spaces and thoughtful
organization can establish the union as the unquestionable place to be and to meet up
with friends.
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42

A student
Vibrant program
union can
spaces
makegather
a significant
studentsandtogether
welcoming campus place – one
into draws
that commonstudents
activities
in and
andencourages
contributethem
to a sense
to stay, to gather together,
of community
and to share experiences.
and personal
At growth.
it’s best, a union acts as a lantern + beacon
of activity for the entire campus
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 G athe ri n g 45

Fostering Study,
Discussion +
Learning

Colleges and universities do their best to prepare students for the demands of the
modern workplace, where collaborative work, on-the job training, and experiential
learning are commonplace. Today’s students are frequently required to engage in group
projects and collaborative work as part of their regular course of study.

However, many campuses suffer from a lack of collaborative learning space to support
this group work. Spaces within a student center can fill this need, supporting the
academic development of its students and fostering a culture of learning. This allows
students to experience learning as an on-going engagement – a long-term conversation
– that extends beyond the walls of the classroom and into their daily lives.
46

Vibrant program spaces gather students together

into common activities and contribute to a sense
of community and personal growth.
47
48 G at he r i ng

Nurturing
Culture + Exploration

A sign of vitality on campus is the performance and cultural exploration that it nourishes.
Writing, preparing, and putting on a performance can be an impromptu event or a
carefully orchestrated production. Creating a variety of venues for performance activities
encourages students to explore their ideas, skills, and talents on a variety of levels for a
variety of purposes.

While casual outdoor amphitheaters invite an informal and improvisational quality of

performance, spaces equipped with simple yet sophisticated sound and lighting systems
encourage students to craft their performances for a larger, more formal audience. With
these spaces available and accessible, students are encouraged to explore and share their
talents as dancers, speakers, musicians, actors, and performers.
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05

Serving

Supporting Student Leaders

Supplying Students with Their Core Needs
52 Servi ng

Supporting
Student Leaders

When major club and student organization space is included in student centers, on any
day of the week, you will find your campus leaders in one building interacting with each
other. These particular students are often recognized as the heart and soul of student life.
Thus, colleges and universities are now devoting more thought to how student centers
can support these students’ work.

Supporting student leaders with dedicated space, technology, and resources improves
the quality of broader student activities on campus and provides an effective training
ground for the future leaders. Housing them in a common space with shared office
resources creates opportunities for meaningful group interaction, effective collaboration,
and the chance exposure to a diversity of interests and passions.
 SE RVING 53

ABOVE: LIBERTY UNIVERSITY, VIEW FROM BOOKSHELVES LOOKING INTO LOBBY

LEFT: LIBERTY UNIVERSITY, VIEW FROM BOOKSHELVES

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 Se rv i n g 55

Supplying Students
with Their Core Needs

Locating a campus store in a student center is ideal, especially in high traffic areas of the
building. The sale of text books supports the academic mission of the institution, but are
by no means the exclusive item sold in bookstores. The latest best-seller, apparel, music,
convenience store items, and supplies add variety to the offerings of a campus bookstore.

Well-lit spaces, inviting shelving, and spaces to pause and peruse encourage students and
faculty to browse and find products to feed their intellect, express their school spirit, and
support their daily lives on campus.
“I think what sets the Commons apart is the fact
that the designers seem to have really understood
our campus and our students in a way that they
interact and the kind of spaces that they would
use. We do feel that we have a kind of unique
student body and this building again really seems
to be based on an understanding of our strengths
and our own culture. That’s remarkable.”

To m Co nt o s
U ni ve rs i t y A rc h it ec t
Was h i ng to n + Le e U niversit y
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06

Sustaining

Integrating + Revealing Sustainable Design Strategies

Creating Meaningful Places
60 Sust ai ni ng

Integrating + Revealing
Sustainable Design
Strategies
Durability
A student center is designed to attract students, faculty, staff and community members
from the far reaches of a campus to enjoy its activities and resources. Thus, a successful
student center is inherently exposed to a high volume of traffic and use. Careful attention
to the durability of the materials and finishes of a student center building will go a long
way towards saving maintenance investment over the life of the building.

Cleanability
A high volume of traffic also impacts the cleaning needs of a stvudent center building.
Finishes chosen to minimize the collection of dirt and debris, to avoid fingerprints
and smudging, and to coordinate with a staff’s cleaning equipment and methods will
maximize efficiency in cleaning efforts.

Indoor Air Quality

Attention to cleanliness will have an important impact on the indoor air quality of a student
center. Similarly, the thoughtful choice of finishes and the careful attention to a building’s
mechanical and ventilation systems will improve occupant health and well-being.

Education And Display

Increasingly, college and university students are concerned about the human impact on
the natural environment. Pursuing and displaying sustainable design efforts can improve
building performance and educate concerned students about a college or university’s
efforts towards responsible building practices. Building displays can explain and celebrate
efforts addressing the fundamental concerns of sustainable student center design:

Other Key Issues

Water Conservation, Energy Conservation, Food Service - Energy and Waste Management,
Recycling and Waste Management, Durability, Indoor Environmental Quality
SE RVING 61
62

Vibrant program spaces gather students together

into common activities and contribute to a sense
of community and personal growth.
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 Su stai n i n g 65

Creating
Meaningful Places

A student union can be seen as a visible symbol of an institution’s future – but it is also
in essence the actual “living room” of the campus and hearthstone of the community.
Students gather together informally outside classes. They socialize and entertain each
other. Commuter students have a place to dine, to relax and to share ideas with residential
students. Professors engage students and one another over a cup of coffee. Groups meet
in student leadership spaces, meeting rooms or outside on terraces and in amphitheaters.
Fans gather to celebrate an important sports victory on the plaza.

A union marks a crucial campus focal point and in a rich mix of uses, brings together the
diverse body of students with the collegiate community for a complete integration of
campus life.
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Featured Projects +
Collaboration

The images found throughout this book feature VMDO designs

for academic student centers and learning environments for the
following institutions and projects:

• Averett University
• George Mason University
• Georgia Institute of Technology
• Graduate Center for Jefferson Fellows
• Liberty University
• The Richard Stockton College Of New Jersey
• Tidewater Community College / Virginia Community College System
• The University Of Virginia’s College At Wise
• Washington & Lee University
• Young Harris College
VMDO Architects
vmdo.com | 434.296.5684

200 E Market St
Charlottesville, VA 22902

2000 Pennsylvania Ave, Suite 7000

Washington, DC 20006

For more information on Higher For more information on Student

Education work please contact: Center work please contact:

Joe Atkins, AIA, LEED AP BD+C Joe Atkins, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
atkins@vmdo.com atkins@vmdo.com

Michele Westrick, AIA, LEED AP BD+C Kim Smith, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
westrick@vmdo.com smith@vmdo.com