We’ve done reading on education and cognition and consider the material explained by Dr. Howard Gardner in his book, Frames of Mind, the Theory of Multiple Intelligences. We look at a student as someone who engages the world and achieves success through his/ her own skills and intelligences. Campus environments encourage this. These kids are smarter than we were when they come out of college. The facilities they live and learn in accommodate their every need and encourage them to be citizens of the world.
We believe that dining halls and student centers have become the social heart of campuses and provide opportunities on a variety of levels for students, faculty, and staff to come together and to feel part of and help build a community. A contemporary notion is that college facilities are blended facilities. We’ve certainly seen that in residence halls, which often have dining facilities connecting them. And it is rare that a dining hall is just a dining hall; they have designated areas for exhibition cooking, retail operations within board operations, classrooms and study lounges. Our designs are driven by what we know about trends, such as young people’s use of technology and eating habits. Designs are also driven by our clients’ issues about town and gown, historic preservation, fitting in with campus architecture, and so forth. Other factors are budgets, site size, and conditions such as existing buildings and environmental factors such as wetlands. Some clients want us to embrace the space vernacular from an external standpoint and add contemporary touches. We also consider the natural elements of the campus and its surroundings because people feel comfortable in their natural environment. During the initial design
So all the senses must be addressed—colors are a crucial point of confluence in creating a dining experience along with textures of fabrics, as well as visual and sound acoustics. Elements such as fireplaces (we now use eco-fireplaces because they are safe) can benchmark a cozy nook of the room, provide a physical divider between two rooms, and allow a view of both rooms. This contributes to creating a familiar type of living room environment where people feel comfortable, relaxed. Other elements include high ceilings that help with acoustics and lighting, and we can bring in greater amounts of natural light with tall ceilings that are largely glass. We also want to incorporate a two-story space in a friendly way to allow people to be seen and see without feeling like they are in an overwhelming space. Environments must have spaces for everyone—males, females, loners, couples, and groups. Everyone must be able to find a spot to sit or spend time that they like.
O F
All institutions are generating revenue from their dining facilities and want them to be successful. Students who are happy at their schools, nurture great relationships, feel they belong, and have greater chances of becoming active and generous alumni.
Transparency is a factor affecting design. Customers want to see where food is coming from and what food looks like before gets on plate, they want to see out into the natural environment and look in from the street.
S E N S E
process, we conduct focus groups and often set up giant boards where students write what they want for food and seats and what they like to look at. We learn what they want in their ambiance. For example, students tell us buildings must pass the slipper test so they can keep their slippers on all day and not have to go out on cold or bad weather days.
73 C A M P U S D I N I N G TO DAY
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oday’s kids are far more sophisticated than generations of the past. They have high expectations, grow up knowing more about many different types of food and cuisines, travel more, and are better selfadvocates. They seldom eat just three meals a day; rather, they graze at six or seven meals, starting with cereal in the morning and ending with pizza at 1 a.m. They regard meals as social events and as opportunities to reinforce their sense of community and fellowship. The most successful colleges and universities understand these issues and want to provide the amenities that will attract new students.
P L AC E
Excerpts from an interview with Bob Simmons, Principal, Bruner/Cott & Associates, Inc., and Dana L. Kelly, senior associate, Bruner/Cott & Associates, Inc., Cambridge, Mass.. Kelly’s team designed Alumni Hall with Bamboo Bistro at Vanderbilt University, featured on pages 27-30.