Learning Resources

Abstract: Owing to the pandemic's economic impact, campus budgets are facing greater challenges to recruit students and meet expectations for state-of-the-art spaces. In this session, we'll demonstrate how to renovate your campus spaces to maximize programming and performance. We've integrated key aspects of high-performance design into a planning approach that addresses the unique challenges of modernizing existing buildings, accommodating future-focused programming needs, and minimizing operational costs. Come learn about a process that will help you consider the highest use of all resources through a variety of lenses and work with stakeholders on your campus to develop a common vision.

Abstract: Addressing current student expectations on campuses with mid-century buildings and a tight budget requires collaboration between the client and design team as well as creative placemaking solutions. As part of repositioning for the 21st century, Drexel University renovated the Korman Center, a 1950s library, and the academic quad to serve as a 24/7 student hub and interdisciplinary academic study center that encourages student collaboration. You will learn how to develop practical, sustainable, and design-forward solutions for updating mid-century buildings and spaces that will attract and retain a diverse student population.

Abstract: As mid-20th-century buildings reach the end of their service life, academic institutions are confronted by the challenge of renovating them while they remain partially occupied. When appropriate swing space is unavailable, or when there is no potential for vacating a building completely to allow renovation to occur more efficiently, a phased approach becomes necessary. The consequences of committing to phased renovation, however, are not only logistical, but also financial, programmatic, and technical. Through analysis of phased renovation projects across multiple building types, one can extract best practices for planning, design, and construction to mitigate many of the most common challenges.

Abstract: A mid-century campus confronted issues of aging infrastructure and tectonic shifts in pedagogy by implementing a comprehensive modernization plan focused on enhancing the student experience. Working with a limited budget, Laurentian University managed to transform its facilities through selective revitalization of nine buildings and some discerning construction to create a new identity, greater connectivity, and a new campus heart to support student interaction and engagement. The creative impetus stemmed from a holistic approach to rejuvenation rather than straightforward expansion—of choosing to build in, not out. This architectural response will enable the university to plan for the next 50 years with consistency and design continuity.