Credits
From Paul Miller
"Great creative opportunities are discovered in making friends with what we cannot change." - Paul Miller
For Shenandoah University's Howe Hall, we were challenged to work within the existing architecture to make a multi-functional space for the students. We turned what was an architectural leftover into a distinctive and useful space. Here the design established a number of intimate spaces for small study groups.
"We optimized the usability of the space by developing a floor plan that allows for ease of access during mixers, while providing study space for as many persons as the room can realistically accommodate." - Miller
This corner of Howe Hall had served many purposes over the years; at one time a lounge for the athletic department, and later still as the campus bookstore. Our study of floor plans from its original drafting in the 1970s through its repurposing for the athletic department in the 90s helped us to better understand some spatial peculiarities.
"Something else that struck me about the building was its brutalist underpinnings and I thought we might build on the vintage of the space, given that mid 20th century style is popular now. Thinking about things that were fresh and innovative in the 1970s got me thinking about NASA and the space age, which led me to Star Wars. I got to calling this area the Astro Lounge." -Miller