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New Student Union, ASU
Polytechnic Campus
Atwater Commons
Hamilton Village Towers,
University of Pennsylvania
Kenyon Athletic Center
Original Student Center
Expansion
The Warehouse
Tangeman University Center
University of Chicago, Graduate School of
Business
University Center of Lake
County
Westminster Theatre & Cultural Center
and Coastline Community College Learning CenterUniversity Center of Lake County
A building combining higher education and workforce development shows its dual personality.
The first facility of its kind in Illinois, the 91,000-square-foot University Center of Lake County merges degree and workforce development programs from 18 higher education institutions. Legat and HOK set out to create a county hub for academic and professional advancement, while enhancing the client’s visibility. The primary design challenge involved harmonizing with other facilities on a community college campus, yet distinguishing the client as a distinct entity, and responding to a key audience of working professionals.
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Five “houses” surround an outdoor courtyard. Large and small gaps within and between the houses break up the massing and suggest a multi-building campus. Contrasts between formality and fluidity, tradition and contemporaneity, inspire the architectural vocabulary. Masonry façades on the north, east, and west sides of the facility present a formal face to the community. The brick materially complements existing facilities, while its arrangement differentiates the center.
The south façade, which curls around the courtyard, is clad in metal and glass to reinforce the center’s sophisticated image. Undulating metal bands weave in and out of the curtain wall to define exterior balconies and interior seating areas, and culminate in a spiral staircase in the commons. Visible only from within the campus, the exterior metal panels change in appearance relative to the sun’s position and the viewer’s perspective, reflecting the dynamic nature of the facility. A three-story glass wall fills the commons with natural light, and offers views to the courtyard and a prairie restoration project beyond.
The interior carries through the concept by merging traditional and contemporary materials and furnishings. For instance, a three-story feature wall across the reception doors offers wood paneling in a contemporary arrangement.
Technology-rich spaces such as distance learning labs and tiered-lecture halls with rear projection systems coexist with “living room” style alcoves that encourage informal gathering. A 1.5-story conference space includes a multi-purpose room that divides into three smaller spaces for academic and professional uses.
Formal name of project: University Center of Lake County
Location: Grayslake, Illinois
Gross square footage: 91,146 sq.ft.
Completion Date: August, 2005
Total construction cost: $19,925,000
Owner: State of Illinois
Architect:
Legat Architects, Inc.
24 N. Chapel Street
Waukegan, IL 60085
Phone: 847.263.3535
Fax: 847.249.0436
www.legat.com
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