Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Lindenwood University

  • 03/01/18

Project Snapshot

PROJECT: Student-Athlete Center
INSTITUTION: Lindenwood University
LOCATION: St. Charles, MO
COMPANY NAME: National Office Furniture
WEBSITE: www.NationalOfficeFurniture.com

Lindenwood University

The Student-Athlete Center on the campus of Lindenwood University works to develop pride for the university, athletics department, and student-athletes. One of the goals for the building was to develop a resource for student-athletes to continue to excel in the classroom.

THE CHALLENGE

At Lindenwood University, the priority is providing students with an exceptional academic and cultural experience; however, athletics play an important role in the campus environment.

Lindenwood University transitioned to a Division II athletic program where the competition both on and off the field escalated. As a part of this transition, the university challenged itself to develop a first-class Student-Athlete Center that would not only benefit the student-athletes, but also the entire campus, alumni, supporters, and the St. Charles, MO, community. The challenge was to keep academics at the core, and prepare the students for game time… and life.

Nestled on 500 acres just west of St. Louis and serving 17,000 students, the Student-Athlete Center was a key part of the university’s long-term planning strategy. The three-story, 45,000-square-foot building is attached to the football stadium and gathers the outdoor sports teams into a central location. The building’s design is focused on being the hub for the football, soccer, lacrosse, and women’s field hockey teams.

Lindenwood UniversityIt serves as a centralized facility that includes meeting spaces, locker rooms, study areas, athletic offices, and space for events. Plus, the building is home to the Academic Success Center which was developed to accommodate the hectic schedules of student-athletes of all sports, providing them with a convenient space to study or meet with a tutor close to where they practice, train, and play.

THE SOLUTION

Lindenwood chose National Office Furniture to provide furniture solutions for the Student-Athlete Center. They utilized National in meeting and event spaces, three lobbies, 17 private offices, 16 open stations, six locker rooms, and an expansive library/study space. Lindenwood took advantage of National’s personalization capabilities and branded the seating throughout the facility with their logo and mascot.

IMPACT ON LEARNING

Lindenwood UniversityTraffic has increased tremendously through the Center, and visitors and recruits are impressed by the facility’s attention to detail and quality. The impact of this building will endure for many years by creating a premiere academic and athletic experience for both current and future student-athletes.

Editor’s Review

Research on interior design and furnishings indicates that rooms and conditions therein are important in the teaching-learning dynamic; however, students felt that these play a much greater role than the faculty did. By providing furniture solutions with students in mind in the Student-Athlete Center, Lindenwood University has seen in increase in traffic in the facility, contributing to the Center’s goals to encourage academic success.

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

Featured

  • Designing for Every Mind

    Learning environments have the power to shape not just what students know, but who they become. When a school is designed with genuine empathy—for the full range of ways students think, sense, and engage with the world—it becomes more than a building. It becomes a catalyst for growth, confidence, and belonging. That is the animating idea behind neurodiverse design, and it is one that is transforming how more architects and designers are thinking about school design.

  • Virginia Tech Tops Out New College of Engineering Building

    Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of Mitchell Hall, which will soon stand as the largest College of Engineering building on campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with Skanska on the 285,500-square-foot facility, which has an expected completion date of winter 2028.

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.

  • Tomball ISD Opens New Tomball West High School

    Tomball Independent School District in Tomball, Texas, recently celebrated the official opening of Tomball West High School, the district's third comprehensive high school, with a community ribbon-cutting ceremony, according to a district news release.