WKU Commons Project Adds Food to Library Experience

A new student commons is expected to open later this fall at Western Kentucky University. WKU Commons is part of Margie Helm Library and offers study and collaboration spaces alongside dining options. The project is being funded through a partnership between the university's libraries and Aramark, which provides institutional food services, among other lines of business.

The $35-million project was begun in January 2020. Originally scheduled to open in spring 2021, the work was delayed due to the pandemic. Previously, the facility was built in 1934 to house a gymnasium and then a library. The renovation will result in an 85,000-square-foot structure.

Among the design touches are installation of 14 skylights that were part of the original building's design; that work exposed parts of the former "Big Red Barn" basketball court.

WKU Commons at Helm Library
Rendering of The WKU Commons at Helm Library. © Western Kentucky University. Design by Gensler.

"We have designed this common learning space to be warm, inviting and comfortable — where students feel at home and where they feel at ease to study, to collaborate, to converse, and let’s not forget — to dine," said President Timothy Caboni, in a statement issued earlier this year. "So, as we reimagined and reformulated this space, at the center of every discussion was something near and dear to our Hilltoppers and to the entire WKU community — FOOD!"

Venues include both national food brands and location operations. There's also space where pop-up venues can rotate in and out every few weeks.

The LEED Silver project was designed by Luckett & Farley and Gensler. The general contractor is A&K Construction.

The WKU Commons "establishes a new model for campus libraries as centers of social plus academic opportunities that better mirror the world they will work in post-graduation. No longer is a library simply a repository of books and quiet studying," said David Broz, principal in charge for Gensler. "We now look at campus environments with a need for common spaces and places for students, faculty and staff to interact in multiple modes and ways — truly setting everyone up for success."

While the site of the Helm Library has been closed for renovations, staff and materials were moved to the adjoining Raymond Cravens Library, which has remained operational. Recently, the Cravens Library reopened for in-person services.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Addressing the Housing Affordability Crisis Through Creative Campus Development

    Many Southern California college and university campuses are living amidst surging housing costs, driving the need to house more of their populations on campus. Especially for community colleges, the need to support millions of unhoused and housing insecure students has become a prominent issue that lawmakers and institutions alike are trying to solve.

  • DLR Group Hires Higher Education Business Development Leader

    Integrated design firm DLR Group recently announced that Senior Associate Megan Todd will serve as its new Higher Education Business Development Leader, according to a news release. Her responsibilities will include building the firm’s reach and client relationships in the California higher education sector, based out of San Diego.

  • Aims Community College to Build Workforce Innovation Center

    Aims Community College in Greeley, Colo., recently announced that it has broken ground on its new Aims Workforce Innovation Center (AWIC), according to a news release. The facility for workforce development, entrepreneurship, and education has a scheduled opening date of fall 2026.

  • S4L Launches 2025 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey

    Spaces4Learning recently launched its 2025 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey, which gathers information on K–12 and higher education construction projects nationwide from the previous year. The data we get from you, our readers, forms an industry report offering an overview of current trends in school facilities.

Digital Edition