A few weeks back, Midwestern State's campus newspaper, The Wichitan, reported on the presentation of a master plan for the University to students and faculty. The article caught my attention as an architecture student. All of a sudden, I had the overwhelming urge to write an opinion piece about the architectural language of Midwestern and in particular, I focused on the proprosal for a new student centre. The parallel with the new Learning Centre at the University of South Australia, as well as a Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology building which I'd studied in early 2013, was too much an opportunity to miss.
Here is the full text version of my article (before editing).
My Vision for Midwestern State’s Student Facility
Last week saw architects and planners present their Master Plan for Midwestern State University to faculty members and students. As with any master plan, the intention was to create an overall vision for the next fifty years that would determine the development of the university and its infrastructure. A suggestion that caught the attention of many students, including my own, was the proposition of a new student centre.
The current Clark Student Centre (CSC) was originally built in 1951 and has been remodelled several times – most recently in 1997. The objective of these efforts was to create more open space however, today, the CSC still resembles a labyrinth of never-ending corridors. Natural light only serves to supplement artificial lighting, making the whole building a frankly unpleasant space to be in.
In addition, there are many spaces that are rarely used. While during the lunch hour the food court seating bustles, the Comanche Suite is devoid of any visitors until a member of faculty decides to host a function there. It’s not that a function room is not an absolute necessity for a student centre, but in contemporary civic architecture, especially within the realm of higher education, flexibility is a high priority. In the CSC, there are few spaces that could be deemed flexible.
Finally, the CSC is anti-technology. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a student centre with reliable Wi-Fi and good cell phone reception? The students of MSU deserve a student centre from the 21st century, and I would like to offer my vision for MSU’s Student Centre of the future.
There has been a global trend forming recently with state-of-the-art facilities for university students being built the world over. Here at MSU, with so much global precedence from which to draw ideas, we are actually in a good position to bring the best of contemporary student spaces to this university.
The concepts driving student centre design trends can be summarised in three key words – flexibility, collaboration and technology. Open plan areas for social learning are encouraged while, the latest technology is installed in innovative ways requiring immense planning at the very beginning of the design process.
Perhaps one of the most impressive examples of this is the Swanston Academic Building at the Royal Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. Described by its architect as a “catalyst to accelerate the cross-pollination of new ideas” the design hopes to inspire students in shared learning spaces fitted with the very latest technology. Most relevant are the sleek, colorful finishes of the internal spaces which disguise the complex network of intelligent, green systems. It’s these systems that control the everyday functions of the building, and allow the students to ‘plug in’ wherever they are. The building’s design also allows for easy navigation among the most utilized spaces with close attention being given to programming and circulation needs.
A Midwestern State version of this building does not have to abandon the traditional arches or brick that are an iconic part of our architectural language. However, I would argue, it’s time to abandon the dated design concepts that for so long have dictated how students relate to these spaces. Instead of creating traditional study rooms, create flexible spaces that inspire learning. Instead installing power points on the wall because that’s where they’ve always been, install them in the arm of the chair or in the floor because that’s where they are actually convenient. And finally, instead of having students walk through a maze of corridors and dark rooms, create open space that is flooded with natural light and invites students to stay, socialize and learn.
This is my vision for MSU’s new student center. A building of the future, for the students of the future that is designed to inspire.
