Page 35 - College Planning & Management, October 2017

business university, a range of present and future considerations were addressed. A fundamental principle emerged: the new space needed to depart from dedicated, single discipline lab, research and support spaces. Instead, a shared model would create a healthy, interdisciplinary fusion of traditionally siloed disciplines within the Natural and Applied Sciences Department at Bentley (above).
A second and related guiding principle was to design for maxi- mum efficiency and flexibility in the lab layouts, furniture, research spaces and equipment to spark a culture of shared use and collabo- ration. One of the goals in planning and designing this renovation was to provide the university with a science space capable of accom- modating day-to-day variations in use and easily adapting to chang- ing program needs and technology improvements in the future.
Team-based learning principles informed decisions on the layout and design of Bentley’s new classrooms, labs, research facilities, faculty spaces and collaboration/teaming areas. Business pedagogy influenced the science program design, and science edu- cation was simultaneously influencing broader business learning.
Spontaneity and Collaboration Welcomed
The completed $22.5 million project allows teamwork and collaboration to develop naturally throughout Jennison Hall. Cross-discipline wet labs are positioned next to what Bentley calls a collaboratory. This space, modeled in part after Bentley University’s popular MBA Studio, is a team-based, flexible learning environment designed to supplement the science labs. A variety of teaching spac-
es, including both active and team-based learning classrooms and tiered case study classrooms, are dispersed on three floors above.
One of the most obvious changes in Jennison is the new addi- tion of useable space for students to occupy in between classes. Rick Oches, Ph.D., chair and professor of Bentley’s Natural and Applied Sciences, noted that “prior to the renovation, Jennison was not very inviting to our students. Throughout the planning process we emphasized that we needed to design spaces for students to have an option to stick around in between classes.”
Each floor now contains informal interaction and quiet study spaces carved out for students to study or socialize, some equipped with whiteboards, monitors to plug into and flexible furniture setups. “We wondered how long it would take students to find and start using these gathering areas,” says Dr. Oches. “The day we opened, they were found and filled.”
In opening months, the new science facilities at Jennison Hall are fulfilling the teaming aspirations of Oches and his colleagues. “We are seeing more interdisciplinary collaboration than expect- ed, especially in faculty research. Several new research initiatives have emerged from the shared spaces,” he says.
Discovery and Collaboration at Johnson & Wales
Similar aspirations for joining departments and disciplines drove the planning and design of the new Bowen Center for Science and Innovation. Johnson & Wales University, known for its career- focused curriculum, wanted to expand learning opportunities
for students by creating a hub for technology, academic science, and engineering. The design emphasizes hands-on learning in an open, shared-space building (below).
Biology, anatomy, physics, physiology and chemistry labs in the three-story building are designed as adaptable and modular, encouraging experimentation, and accommodating different styles of instruction and learning. The engineering labs, where students receive hands-on instruction in computer programming, robotics, computer-aided design and related technology courses, are designed with equipment located on the perimeter of the room.
OCTOBER 2017 / COLLEGE PLANNING & MANAGEMENT 35
PHOTO © JOHN HORNER PHOTOGRAPY
PHOTO © ROBERT BENSON PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO © MATTHEW DELPHINICH