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

  • Quattrocchi Kwok Architects Opens New Office in Denver

    Education planning and design firm Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) recently announced that it has opened a new office in Denver, Colo., the firm’s third overall. QKA is headquartered in Santa Rosa, Calif., and runs an East Bay Area office in Oakland.

  • DFW-Area District Opens New Replacement Middle School

    The Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District near Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new replacement middle school campus, according to a news release. The new facility for Wayside Middle School, originally established in 1964, was built on the site of the former district administration building and funded through Bond Proposition A in 2023.

  • Hawaii Elementary School Breaks Ground on New Classroom Building

    Kealakehe Elementary School in Kailua, Hawaii, recently began construction on a new, $16-million classroom building for its campus, according to a news release. The 13,000-square-foot building will stand two stories and connect the existing upper and lower campuses.

  • Chicago District Completes Construction on New Elementary School

    North Chicago School District 187 in North Chicago, Ill., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Forrestal Elementary School, according to a news release. The new school marks a major investment in military-connected students and families at Naval Station Great Lakes.