Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

University of Florida: Newell Hall Renovation

  • 02/01/18
University of Florida

PHOTOS © THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

Originally designed in 1910, Newell Hall is the third oldest building on the University of Florida’s Gainesville campus. The building, vacant since 2012, needed new life. After some time, the university recognized a need for an informal study space that responded to the way that 21st-century students learn, and embarked on an ambitious project to substantially renovate the aged facility into an active learning commons. The student government strongly supported the need for this type of space and helped turn the project into a reality by lobbying for funds from the Florida Legislature. Completed in April 2017, Newell Hall is now a flexible, technology-rich, innovative learning environment for students to collaborate, study and share ideas 24/7.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979, the Newell Hall Renovation required adherence to strict standards for preserving the historic structure. SchenkelShultz Architecture (Architect of Record) and Robert A.M. Stern Architects (Design Architect) were tasked with restoring some of the building’s original components. The effort included restoring the north entry doors that were bricked over in the 1940s, adding new energy-efficient windows with historic profiles to match the original design, and restoring brick and terra cotta accent elements. The exterior maintains the original character of the historic design and seamlessly blends with the other buildings in the campus’ historic district.

The interior of the building is a vast departure from the traditional exterior. An open floor plan gives students a variety of spaces for focus, collaboration, and interaction. Each floor of the four-story building includes a diversity of zones with flexible furniture systems and configurations allowing students to easily adapt spaces to fit their needs whether they are working in groups, one-on-one or independently. Additionally, the first floor includes a café that opens to a landscaped outdoor patio that provides opportunities for rejuvenation.

Newell Hall has successfully filled a void on campus giving students a unique, active studying environment.

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management February 2018 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Hawaii Elementary School Reopens Following $25M Campus Modernization

    Haʻaheo Elementary School in Hilo, Hawaii, has reopened to students following a three-year, $25-million campus modernization and expansion project that significantly increases the school's instructional space while preserving one of the island's oldest educational institutions, according to local news.

  • Texas A&M Opens First Building at Fort Worth Campus, Breaks Ground on Research Facility

    The Texas A&M University System marked a major milestone in the development of its Fort Worth campus by opening its first completed academic building and breaking ground on a second facility designed to expand research and industry collaboration.

  • UCF Modernizes College of Hospitality Management

    The University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla., recently completed a major renovation effort for the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, according to a news release. The project modernized 77,600 square feet worth of academic classrooms, teaching labs, and collaborative spaces to support both students and faculty.

  • Johns Hopkins Starts Construction on New Residence Hall, Dining Facility

    The Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., recently began construction on a new residence hall and dining facility, according to university news. The work involves demolishing the existing Alumni Memorial Residence Hall I, which was built in 1923, to make room for the new facility.