Kettering University Learning Commons

The new Kettering University Learning Commons is the catalyst project stemming from the 2014 Campus Master Plan. Foregoing the conventional book stacks of an academic library, it complements the institution’s unique curriculum with a facility designed specifically to support the project work, collaboration, ideation, and technology that are hallmarks of a Kettering education. Challenging convention with such a programmatic leap, the new Learning Commons embodies the importance of interaction and socialization to the future workforce, offering the students (and faculty) a place to bring their workplace experiences onto campus while extending their academic experiences into their growing careers. The Learning Commons continues Kettering’s strong commitment to engineering and crafting with quality. The 105,000-square-foot facility utilizes building systems that speak to the permanence and longevity of the institution while offering durability for the decades ahead. Connecting the ground floor to the existing Campus Center, its four stories center on an open-air atrium topped by a skylight that fills the entire interior space with natural light. The first and second floors feature public gathering, dining, various collaboration areas, and an incubation maker space, each designed to invite dynamic social interactions. The third and fourth floors consist of additional commons spaces and contemplative environments for research, student support, media resources, individual focus, and group project work. A technology-rich auditorium on the first floor and a glass, cantilevered conference room on the fourth floor are the only reservable spaces in the building. Framing a new academic quadrangle for the campus, the new Learning Commons redefines its own typology as the first 24-7, year-round campus library/learning commons with its collections and resources completely “in the cloud,” and dedicating its entire footprint to academic support, collaboration, project work, social interaction, soft skills development, and quiet study. Reshaping the long-treasured, south-facing lawn known as “The Beach,” stepped lawn terraces provide an outdoor event space while maintaining the sun-soaked lawn that is enjoyed throughout the spring and fall terms. Roughly 1,600 square feet of green roof on the building’s east and west sides were designed to reduce runoff and lower temperatures on the surface and surrounding area. Kettering’s new Learning Commons was designed to easily transform to meet untold academic needs, affording adaptability to any future programs or space reconfigurations. Each interior space was designed for optimum flexibility, integrated with power and technology throughout. Its west-facing gateway entry completes the campus edge, presenting a new face to the adjacent neighborhoods of Flint. With a solid stone base, cement panel enclosure, and emphasizing transparency through abundant use of glass curtainwall, this facility was designed for timeless elegance, and to uphold the campus foreground with a refined sense of ingenuity.