THE UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS

MEMPHIS, TN

The University of Memphis’motto is “Dreamers. Thinkers. Doers.” Now after six years in planning and construction, the dreaming, thinking, and doing has more than paid off with a 180,000 square foot student center at the nexus of the University’s main campus. The result is a revitalized campus core that routinely hosts 4,000 to 6,000 people a day through events, meetings, studying, dining, and gathering together in a number of settings, both relaxed and formal.

The new University Center at the University of Memphis greets visitors with a spectacular full-height sky lit central atrium. Once inside, it’s a “seen and be seen” space with a wide range of amenities that makes it difficult to leave. The interior of the three-story brick building is awash with light that spills into lounge areas, offices, meeting spaces, and more. “If we control the lighting, people will be magnetically attracted,” explains architect Reb Haizlip. “We carved a hole in the middle of the building and filled it with natural light!” Described as “the living room of the campus,” the new University Center is designed to give students a sense of place in an inviting, sustainable campus setting. It features:

• The Involvement Zone
• Technology Hub Formal
• Presentation Rooms
• A food court, market, and restaurant all for the convenience of a busy student’s schedule

The University’s in-house designers chose Haworth for its vast breadth of line, con- temporary style, clean lines, and light woods. Embracing the architect’s vision of bringing light into the spaces, they chose the Planes and Patterns collections in natural maple to take advantage of all the natural light from the atrium.

“It was all about bringing people together and giving them the best tools to excel. The new University Center needed to be a very flexible and collaborative space for the entire university community. With the expert design and selection of materials proposed by the local Haworth dealer, Office Scapes, we were able to stay within budget and meet the varied and demanding needs of multiple users and working styles.”

—Courtney Dickinson, Interior Designer

THE INVOLVEMENT ZONE

The Involvement Zone is home to many student organization and government offices. Each group has its own space, tailored to highlight its personality and activities. These teams operate much like extended families, so the spaces are most often used for informal meetings or get-togethers, but they can also be adapted for structured meetings or specific tasks. With such a variety of activities taking place, flexibility is key to the design. Soft lounge seating is used for social interaction, private offices allow individuals to work on tasks requiring concentration, and touchdown stations support group or individual work.

Hallways are lined with soft seating to encourage students to relax and enjoy impromptu get-togethers. And there are conference rooms that can be reserved for team meetings or group projects. These are available weekdays from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM, and limited hours on weekends and holidays.

To accommodate students who live off-campus, the space also includes offices equipped with additional seating and technology. This gives commuter students a place to touch down between classes and meetings, so they don’t have to drive back and forth as often.

TECHNOLOGY HUB

The unique Compose solution in the Technology Hub allows for impromptu, informal team meetings. There are also monitors available at stand up height to satisfy the diverse working preferences .The conference rooms along the perimeter of the space are schedulable 24 hours a day to allow meetings with a specific agenda and set of predetermined deliverables or to brainstorm future ideas, and the ability within the space to use white boards and wall space for capturing new ideas.

The lab is staffed 24 hours a day to provide support or answer questions students may have with their technology and also have computers available at all of the workstations so students are not required to bring their own computers.

* Fuf®, patented urethane foam-filled, chairs are manufactured by Comfort Research, a company based in Grand Rapids, MI.

THE SENATE ROOM

Formal presentations and training sessions are hosted in education and business facilities alike. It’s important to be sure that spaces allocated for these meetings provide adequate seating that gives all attendees a view of the presenter. The space should also be set apart from public areas to allow acoustical privacy.

The Senate Room was designed in a theater style to allow those in the back rows to easily see the presenter. Views to the outside have been incorporated, as studies have shown this enhances participants’ experience. Each person has designated space at power- equipped tables, so they can use their laptops. Seating is on casters to allow easy movement, and is generously spaced so each person has enough space.

CUSTOMER PROFILE

Situated in a beautiful park-like setting in the largest city in Tennessee, The University of Memphis has an enrollment of more than 21,000 students and 2,500 faculty and staff. (The University is the flagship of the 45 institution Tennessee Board of Regents system—the nation’s sixth largest system

of public higher education.) The University awards more than 3,000 degrees annually. As it nears its 100th anniversary, the University continues to pursue its mission to be a learner-centered metropolitan research university providing high-quality educational experiences while pursuing new knowledge through research, artistic expression, and interdisciplinary and engaged scholarship. The new University Center is another example of this student-focused ideal.

HAWORTH PRODUCT

Systems Furniture: PatternsTM, Compose® Moveable Walls: Enclose® Seating: Zody®, Improv® Tag, X99®, Hello® Desks, Files, and Storage: X Series®, Masters Series®, V Series®

Tables and Conference Furniture: Planes®

ARCHITECTS

Fisher and Arnold, Inc
Haizlip Studio, PLLC

UNIVERSITY DESIGN TEAM

Courtney Dickinson
David Jamison
Deb Crawford
Kristen David
Helen Davis

GENERAL CONTRACTOR

Inman Construction Company

HAWORTH FURNITURE DEALER

Office Scapes, Inc.