Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Bergen Community College: Student Center

  • 12/01/14
Bergen Community College

PHOTOS © JAY ROSENBLATT PHOTOGRAPHY, LLC

To address an increase in enrollment and student center traffic at Bergen Community College, the largest community college in New Jersey, DMR Architects of Hasbrouck Heights, NJ, designed a renovation and expansion of the student center to transform a divided campus into a single entity.

The Student Center, the hub of the campus, serves a population of more than 17,000 students, faculty, staff and visitors. Previously, the building lacked a clearly defined entrance, interior space was divided, and interior circulation was inefficient. The building contained narrow stairs, ramps and passageways; food service areas were too small; and the building contained no exterior space.

In renovating and expanding the facility, it was important to create an identity for the building and provide more collaborative seating and lounge options, as well as accommodate growing student clubs. The renovated Student Center now provides efficient interior and exterior seating, a defined entrance, a wider and intuitive circulation pattern and a flexible layout.

The building was designed with sustainability at its core, including numerous sustainable features, such as a green roof, which helps reduce heat loads and stormwater run-off. It also provides an aesthetically pleasing solution to addressing the views of the roof from offices above. Other sustainable features include a new high-efficiency mechanical system, a wood and aluminum curtain wall system, high-efficiency glazing, energy-efficient lighting, low-flow fixtures and locally sourced materials.

The 24,000-square-foot Student Center now provides the students of Bergen Community College with a modernized space for collaboration and social interaction. The project has transformed this vital access point to the campus and has provided a new identity to the college.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Harvard Announces Replacement Facility for Native American Program

    Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., recently announced that construction will begin this spring on a new home for its Native American Program, according to university news. The 6,500-square-foot, all-electric building will stand three stories and serve as the central hub for the Harvard University Native American Program (HUNAP).

  • UT System Approves First Funds for New Campus

    The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently approved funds to build the first facility of a new campus in far west Fort Worth, Texas, according to university news. UTA West will serve as a branch of the University of Texas at Arlington and is scheduled to open in fall 2028.

  • Johns Hopkins Starts Construction on New Residence Hall, Dining Facility

    The Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., recently began construction on a new residence hall and dining facility, according to university news. The work involves demolishing the existing Alumni Memorial Residence Hall I, which was built in 1923, to make room for the new facility.

  • 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.