Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

A New Design for a Campus Hub

  • 06/01/16
Johnson Commons West dining area

Johnson Commons West, a central meeting place on the University of Mississippi’s campus, was renovated to reflect the school’s spirit and aesthetic. Falcon seating played an important role in regard to comfort and style in the new dining space during the redesign.

As home to the University of Mississippi’s main campus dining location, student services, catering and dining administration offices — and with its more than 50-year presence — Johnson Commons West serves as a high-visibility, high-traffic facility. Recently completed renovations, including modernization and expansion of the 50,000-square-foot, two-story west wing, significantly enhanced the facility’s circulation paths, building operations and visual presence.

“A key directive was to seamlessly incorporate the design of the new space into the historic campus,” says Ashley Sullivan Hawthorne, NCIDQ, interior designer, Tipton Associates.

The university’s aesthetic, colors and signage are represented throughout the building. Contemporary components include skylights that bring natural light into the center of the building and white, translucent ceiling clouds, while columns from the original building became an interior feature that serves as a reminder of campus history.

Dining remains one of the primary services provided within Johnson Commons West and spaces on both floors were similarly refreshed as part of the renovation.

J11 series café tables from Falcon were selected for both floors. A customized edge was added to the tables in keeping with the design of the space, while the steel base provides durability necessary to accommodate large numbers of students.

“As we prepared to bring our design concepts to life, furniture was an essential element in supporting the overall aesthetic and providing a comfortable dining experience,” says Hawthorne.

The residential dining area includes seating for 800 with seating for 100 provided in the retail dining section. Falcon seating is featured throughout both floors, including Lucky chairs in the school’s colors on the first floor and R843 metal side chairs with dark walnut seat and coordinating barstools in the marketplace.

Renovation of Johnson Commons West received an IDEA Award of Recognition for Renovation/Historic Preservation from the IIDA Delta Regional Chapter.

www.falconproducts.com

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Round Rock ISD Completes New Early College High School

    Round Rock ISD near Austin, Texas, recently announced that construction is complete on a new, 46,500-square-foot campus for Early College High School, according to a news release. The new facility will allow the school’s students and staff to move from portables into a permanent building and increase its enrollment to 500.

  • Houston-Area High School Breaks Ground on 117,000SF Multi-Use Facility

    North Shore Senior High School, part of Galena Park ISD in Houston, Texas, recently broke ground on a new multi-use facility for student extracurriculars, according to a news release. The North Shore Multi-Use Facility will include dedicated practice and training space for the school’s athletics and fine arts programs.

  • Harvard Announces Replacement Facility for Native American Program

    Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., recently announced that construction will begin this spring on a new home for its Native American Program, according to university news. The 6,500-square-foot, all-electric building will stand three stories and serve as the central hub for the Harvard University Native American Program (HUNAP).

  • California K–12 District Finishes Renovations on Multi-Sport Stadium

    The Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) in Alameda, Calif., recently announced the completion of a renovation project on the Encinal Jr. & Sr. High School stadium, according to a news release. The district partnered with Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) and Bothman Construction on the facility, and funding came from Bond Measure B.