Page 15 - College Planning & Management, June 2019

EDUCATION DESIGN SHOWCASE • COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES
PROJECT OF DISTINCTION
ACTIVE LEARNING RENOVATION RUSH UNIVERSITY
CHICAGO, IL
RUSH UNIVERSITY IN Chicago embarked on a $6.5-million renovation proj- ect to create 10,000 square feet of new, highly dynamic active learning space to help prepare students for careers in healthcare. The project provides a much-needed addition to the campus as Rush University shifts from lecture-style classrooms to environments that promote collaboration and innova- tion among students. The new space will open in the fall of 2019 and will serve students in all divisions.
Creating the new active learning space required gutting an existing building and installing steel beams to create two stories out
of a previously open space. The space features move- able furniture, including mobile carts with PCs and computer monitors. Epson laser projectors and writing surfaces on every wall en- courage collaboration and group work. A moveable wall helps to accommodate different class sizes and dif- ferent uses. A power grid in the floor provides multiple outlets and data ports to accommodate BYOD.
The university also took aesthetics into consider- ation to ensure the space would look and feel innova- tive, flexible, and functional. The east and west walls
of the building are com- pletely glass to let in light and showcase the space. Geometric patterns on the carpet double as visual boundaries so students can easily rearrange furniture to create semi-private spaces for group work.
ARCHITECT
DKA
GREG SPITZER, AIA, LEED-AP 312/496-0000
PROJECT INFORMATION
CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR
Cheston Brauer, Chief of Staff
COMPLETION DATE
August 2019
GROSS AREA
10,000 sq. ft.
AREA PER STUDENT
37 sq. ft.
SITE SIZE
N/A
CURRENT ENROLLMENT
2,708
CAPACITY
399
COST PER STUDENT
$16,270
COST PER SQ. FT.
$650
TOTAL COST
$6,500,000
JUDGES’ COMMENTS
I appreciate how they created new space in the building.
It appears to fill a void for programming for the univer- sity. The project represents
a comprehensive planning process to create a dynamic, flexible space.
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