In renovating the James E. Rogers College of Law to create the Law Commons, we transformed dark, low, insular spaces into airy, inviting, daylit volumes. The existing language of precast panels cladding the building facades was reimagined as a system of operable glass panels and shading elements that create a signature image for the College of Law along a major roadway.
Natural light was introduced into the building’s core by peeling away sections of the building’s facades and unplugging elements from the center of both building and site. The resulting open, flexible environment offers students and faculty visually and physically-connected indoor-outdoor social space in which to both study and interact. From the project outset, Canary collaborated with the architectural team to develop an integrated, comprehensive signage and graphics package, including a vibrantly-colored flexible donor installation and a “Heritage Wall” that honors influential alumni and enhances the overall sense of gravitas through the Law Commons complex.
The positive outcomes for the College of Law have been powerful; before the renovation students visited the building only as necessary, since completion access had to be limited to law students because of the overwhelming popularity of the comfortable and community-building environment.
Image Credits: Roland Bishop Photography and Gould Evans