History:

The Burpee Center, a structure originally designed by Perkins + Will in the early 1960’s as a student center for Rockford University, had fallen to the pressures for additional administrative space and distributed student services over the last 50 years. This project is the first step in realizing a long term planning effort to return the Burpee Center to a center for student life at Rockford University. The project reinvented much of the first floor, which created new social spaces, a modest retail food venue to expand student dining options, and brought the Student Organizations and Student Life team together in one building.

Design Strategy:

The design team set out with the goal of returning the Burpee Center not only to its roots as a student centered building, but also to create spaces that integrate sympathetically within the original building design.

The original lobby received limited improvements, as the modest construction budget needed to address student needs and a long list of deferred maintenance items. The Lobby acts as a transitional welcoming space that directs students and guests to the active areas on either side. These active areas are defined by wood portals that grow from wall to ceiling and encapsulate butt glazed student spaces. The most dramatic portal connects the lobby to the retail dining venue and showcases the Student Organization meeting space along its length.

A new active lounge space was created in a key public area that was originally constructed as a multi-purpose room, but proved ineffective due to its low waffle slab ceilings and harsh acoustical environment for presentations. The reinvention embraces the lively acoustical environment while introducing new student collaboration rooms, gaming + media centers, informal lounge space and niches to retreat to for more passive engagement in the social space.