Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Rutgers University

  • 04/01/19
rutgers university

First impressions matter. This plaza area at Rutgers Business School presents an inviting and contemporary welcome to the facility, inspiring innovation and collaboration.

Project Snapshot

PROJECT: Rutgers School of Business
INSTITUTION: Rutgers University
LOCATION: Piscataway, NJ
COMPANY NAME: Unilock®
WEBSITE: commercial.unilock.com

THE CHALLENGE

Rutgers Business School is the gateway to Rutgers University’s Livingston Campus in New Jersey, as envisioned by the campus master plan. As part of the initiative to create a culture of collaboration the design at the new building purposely created areas where students and faculty can hang out, meet each other, and have discussions.

In the past, pavers would last about 10 years before looking weathered and faded. Rutgers University wanted to ensure they would stand up substantially longer and the initial upgrade in the cost of the finish was less than an alternate plan to have them replaced in 10 years’ time.

THE SOLUTION

rutgers universityAdvancements in installation methods combined with the latest manufacturing technologies have resulted in significant life-cycle cost savings. Pavers today can be manufactured with a more durable surface that extends their life significantly versus the original thru-mix pavers of the past. Thru-mix is a blend of large and small aggregates from the top of the paver to the bottom. As the paver ages the large aggregates are exposed and the paver appear worn and faded.

Today’s technology of Enduracolor™ allow us to manufacture a paver with a surface of finer aggregates and concentrated color that will appear smooth and color-fast while the base is made up of the larger aggregate required for strength. Additional stain resistance treatments can be added in the manufacturing process and are permanently bonded to the stone so that subsequent sealing and treatments are not required. Additional savings are also quickly realized when utility repairs or pavement modifications are required, as it is simple to pull up the pavers and reinstall them when modifications are complete.

rutgers universityAt Rutgers, the paving pattern mimics the facade details of the building’s architecture with a pixelated design. In order to ensure the longevity of the color, and therefore the design, the EnduraColor Smooth Premier finish was chosen for this project.

IMPACT ON LEARNING

The new facility was purposely designed to foster student engagement and encourage collaborative work, while the outdoor space focuses on making the campus a more inviting place for students and faculty, creating an engaging contemporary place to learn, and inspiring creativity and innovation.

Editor’s Review

This thoughtful and attractive installation at Rutgers Business School provides an attractive “first impression” to campus visitors as well as providing an inviting space for students to gather and interact. Appealing spaces aid in recruitment and retention, creating pride in the institution for students, faculty, and staff.

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management April/May 2019 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Indiana Wesleyan University Schedules Grand Opening for New Welcome Center

    Indiana Wesleyan University recently announced that it will soon open a new Welcome Center on its campus in Marion, Ind., according to a news release. The facility will serve as the home base for prospective students and their families to learn more about the university and student life there. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for February 19.

  • Children walking along bright school corridor with motion blur

    How Next-Gen Design Is Reshaping the Student Experience

    The environments where students learn play a crucial role in shaping their growth in and out of the classroom. By centering design on well-being, flexibility, and purpose, districts can ensure their facilities remain vibrant community assets for many years to come.

  • 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.

  • How a Portable Sink Helped an Art Classroom Run More Smoothly

    Classroom design decisions can have outsized effects on instructional time and safety at schools juggling mismatched infrastructure, strict budgets, and crowded schedules — particularly in the arts. Between spilled paint and dirty brushes, art classes run smoother with a sink in the studio. But many schools don’t have a sink in every art classroom.