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

  • i-PRO, NovoTrax Partner for New School Emergency Response Solution

    i-PRO Americas, Inc., which manufactures edge computing cameras, recently announced a partnership with NovoTrax, provider of end-to-end life safety and mass notification solutions, to address gaps in emergency response workflows at K–12 schools, according to a news release.

  • K–12 Safety Trends Report Reveals Reliance on Training, Technology

    Wearable safety technology provider CENTEGIX recently released its 2025 School Safety Trends Report, according to a news release. The report is based on more than 265,000 incidents during the 2024–25 school year as reported through the CENTEGIX Safety Platform, used by more than 800 school districts across the U.S.

  • Elevating Campus Maintenance: How Power Wash Drones are Transforming Educational Facilities

    As today’s campuses grow larger and more architecturally complex, keeping exteriors clean, safe, and inviting has never been tougher. Facilities leaders are under constant pressure to stretch budgets, meet safety standards, and support sustainability goals—all while tackling the stubborn challenge of exterior cleaning.

  • University of Southern Mississippi Starts Construction on Oyster Hatchery

    The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) recently announced that construction has begun on a new oyster hatchery at its Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL) Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center (TCMAC) Cedar Point campus in Ocean Springs, Miss., according to a news release.

Digital Edition