Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

University of Miami Completes Renovations to Student Center

  • By Matt Jones
  • 12/07/23

The University of Miami recently announced that renovations to its Student Village on the second floor of the Whitten University Center are complete, according to a news release. The Student Village plays home to departments and suites for student groups and organizations including the Veterans Resource Center, the LBGTQ+ Student Center, the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, and more. The university partnered with architecture firm DLR Group for the project’s design.

The project’s goal was to renovate the 15,000-square-foot space to create a “warm and social haven” with a unified, cooperative, welcoming, and functional design, the news release reports. The design process entailed extensive engagement with students and staff.


Photo by Chad Baumer

“DLR Group was intentional in gathering feedback and listening to members of the university community,” said Renée Dickens Callan, Ed.D., Assistant Vice President of Student Life at the University. “They paid special attention to the student voice and worked diligently to incorporate their ideas, which resulted in a space that visually illustrates the importance of representation and a commitment to creating a culture of belonging.”

Each student group’s space features its own palette of colors, textures, and patterns reflecting its cultural history. Communal lounges pay tribute to each group’s palette while also melding them into a single, cohesive space. Wall murals also reflect the values of the different groups within.

“Working on the murals for the Whitten Center lounge provided me an opportunity to not only learn about the different cultures and customs of each unique student group, but to gain a deeper understanding of what representation means to them,” said DLR Group Associate and Experiential Graphic Designer Jovaney Hollingsworth. “It was an honor working on this project.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Myrtle Grove Elementary

    Phased Construction Keeps Students on Campus During Rebuild

    When Escambia County School District needed to replace most of Myrtle Grove Elementary School in Pensacola, Fla., it had three distinct challenges: honor the school's legacy in the community, bring state-of-the-art learning environments to the county, and be seamlessly built on the same site as the active school campus.

  • Spaces4Learning Announces 2026 Product Award Winners

    Spaces4Learning has just announced the winners of the 2026 Product Awards! The award program spotlights outstanding product development achievements of manufacturers and suppliers whose products or services are considered to be particularly noteworthy in their ability to enhance K–12 and higher-education learning environments.

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.

  • Girl Sitting at Library Desk, Using Laptop

    How Campus Design Shapes the Finals Week Experience

    Academic performance is not just about preparation. It is closely tied to how students manage stress, maintain their energy, and shift between work and recovery modes. Much of that is influenced, directly or indirectly, by design.