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Architects: CannonDesign
- Area: 163000 m²
- Year: 2023
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Photographs:Christopher Barrett, Laura Peters
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Manufacturers: Draper, Terrazzo & Marble, Cascade Coil Drapery Inc., Sherwin-Williams, Bentley, CTS Cement, Dal Tile, Johnsonite Takett , LG Hausys, Mosa, NEC, Nydree, Shaw
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Lead Architects: CannonDesign, Hobbs and Black Architects
Text description provided by the architects. The new Student Center at Western Michigan University (WMU) is a beacon of inclusion. Located on lands historically occupied by Ojibwe, Odawa and Bodewadmi nations, the building is designed to be a student-centered gathering place that champions belonging and honors the roots of Native American heritage embedded throughout the site.
Replacing the Bernhard Center, the new vibrant space is intended to serve as the hub of belonging, fostering connection, community and collaboration for all students. The three-level building features gathering and lounge spaces, a dining facility, the campus bookstore, an anticipated on-campus brewpub, the campus welcome center, retail locations and more. Fueled by the institution’s unwavering commitment to inclusive design, the new building was shaped by an extensive stakeholder engagement process and principles of Institutional Diversity and Multiculturalism (IDM).
The building’s unique design was inspired by the school’s natural environment and cultural elements important to WMU students. Through a deeply collaborative design process, the new student center was designed to incorporate elements of Native American culture such as the idea of the sitting circle. Rather than the straight walls and rectangular spaces that are customary in traditional architecture, the building features mostly curved walls and circular rooms.
The iconic central atrium, lined with cedarwood and lit above by skylights, is known as the “Heart,” invoking the forests of Michigan that include plenty of cedar trees. Among many of its uses, the Heart is a place where affinity groups meet, featuring sitting areas, performance spaces and meeting rooms and flooded with natural light from the roof to the ground floor.
The exterior of the building was envisioned as a forest standing on bedrock. Gold fins fan out around the façade, providing sun protection and reflecting cutouts that mimic a tree canopy shadow onto the exterior glass and into the interior spaces. The lower level of the building’s exterior resembles the region’s Kalamazoo bedrock, which creates an appearance of geometric terraces when exposed to sunlight.
The new student center delivers a truly student-centered environment curated to help all students feel recognized, make connections and explore. Here, inclusion goes beyond small design elements as the entire building and its design is a testament to the university's commitment to fostering belonging and inclusivity. This project not only serves as a model for creating an authentic and inviting student center but also demonstrates the opportunities that exist for prioritizing inclusivity in all aspects of campus life. All at once, the building simultaneously nurtures community and individuality by inspiring students to discover and share their voices while learning about those whose identities are different than their own.
