Lewis University Celebrates Groundbreaking for Aviation-Themed Student Center

Lewis UniversityStudents, faculty and administrators at Lewis University celebrated the groundbreaking for a 25,500-square-foot student center designed by Wight & Company.

The new student center is envisioned as a campus hub for students at the university's Romeoville, IL, campus in Chicago's western suburbs. Key components of the multi-level structure will be a 2.5-story glass atrium, dining hall, several outdoor terraces, and student life areas for gaming, recreation, media and club activities.

The design of the new student center pays tribute to the university's heritage in aviation and aeronautics. Lewis University has its own airport on its Romeoville campus and has been recognized as having one of the country's leading collegiate aviation programs. Wight & Company's design incorporate elements such as cables that suspend a vintage plane from the atrium ceiling as a reference to the school's heritage.

Steadily increasing enrollment at Lewis University has driven a significant amount of new building and renovation on the main campus, much of which has been designed and built by Wight & Company. Since 2004, the two organizations have partnered on more than 50 individual expansion and improvement projects.

Wight & Company was chosen to lead this project using its integrated Design & Delivery model, which means that in addition to designing the new student center, the company will serve as construction manager and will provide civil, structural and MEP engineering services. Their architecture team is led by executive vice president/director of design Kevin Havens, who is working with senior project manager Laura Batterberry and Richard Carlson, president of architecture. Scott Richards will serve as construction project manager.

"The student center is the realization of a vision for this campus that has been many years in the making," explains Lewis University's Robert C. DeRose, CPA, MBA, senior vice president for finance & facilities/chief financial officer. Lewis University has announced its plan to name the new building for its recently retired president Brother James Gaffney, FSC, in honor of his 28 years of service to the university.

"This will be Lewis University's first-ever dedicated student center," according to Havens. "We have designed an environment that meets the unique needs of both residential and commuter students and, at the same time, begins to meld those distinct cultures into one."

Wight & Company is targeting LEED certification for the new structure. The project is slated for completion in August 2018.

Featured

  • Nureva Pro audio solution

    Nureva HDL Pro Audio Systems Earn HETMA Approved Status

    The Higher Education Technology Managers Alliance (HETMA) has added two solutions from audio conferencing provider Nureva to its HETMA Approved Products list.

  • Minnesota High School Completes $226M Addition, Renovation Project

    White Bear Lake Area High School – North Campus in White Bear Lake, Minn., recently announced the completion of a $226-million renovation and addition project, according to a news release. The district partnered with Kraus-Anderson for the project’s construction, which involved creating a single high-school site for the White Bear Lake Area School District.

  • Integem Releases New AI-Powered AR Software Platform

    Integem recently announced the release of iPlayer EDU, an AI-powered software platform featuring augmented reality (AR) technology that allows teachers to create immersive educational experiences, according to a news release. The software also includes interactive lessons on a variety of subjects, including planets in the solar system.

  • Kimball International Announces New, Updated Products

    Furnishings manufacturer Kimball International recently announced a series of new and enhanced products for use in education, office, and healthcare spaces, according to a news release.