U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has called the increase in youth mental health needs the defining health crisis of our time. Because educators are with children for more than a third of their waking hours, they can have an enormous positive impact on children’s mental health and well-being. But what is often overlooked is the significant impact well-designed school buildings and their surroundings can also have on student well-being.����

A recent study by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health pointed out many ways schools can impact students’ physical and emotional health. At HMFH Architects, a leader in public school design, we are constantly evolving and improving the buildings we are designing to help students thrive. While this takes many forms, one major area of focus for our firm is creating school buildings that connect students with the natural environment.����

Providing access to nature in an urban environment��

Nature is a powerful force in supporting health and well-being. Direct access to nature can lower blood pressure, aid in recovery from stress and mental fatigue, and help improve focus. Ensuring access to outdoor gardens, play areas, quiet zones, and learning spaces with active plant life is thus critical for students. But in urban areas, even providing minimal access to nature can be a challenge.��

This was certainly true when HMFH was engaged to design a new middle high school for the City of Boston. For one, the Josiah Quincy Upper School’s (JQUS) urban location in Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood has the lowest green space per capita in the city. The school’s limited one-acre site in close proximity to two highways posed additional challenges.����

To find a solution that introduced green space, we looked up. Our design uses the high-rise school’s rooftop to provide gardens for mindful contemplation, outdoor classrooms, walking paths, and seating areas—spaces that are not typically available to schools in dense urban environments but, when they are, have been proven highly beneficial. In fact, according to Katherine England, the City of Boston’s Director of Green Infrastructure, “teachers in Boston public schools that have green infrastructure and vegetated landscapes have noted students’ improved behavior and focus after returning from playtime in green spaces versus playtime on paved outdoor surfaces.”��

JQUS’s landscaped roof will not only positively impact student well-being for those in the school, but it will also allow the whole neighborhood to experience health and climate benefits. The green roof will help mitigate the urban heat-island effect, stormwater runoff, and air pollution while increasing biodiversity.��

Bringing outdoor environments in��

Bringing nature indoors is as important as access to the outdoors.�� But while interior planters, gardens, aquariums, or terrariums are terrific, they can be expensive and require constant care. If these features aren’t viable for a school, there are other strategies available.����

For example, simply having plentiful views of the outdoors can satisfy our human drive for connecting with our natural environmental conditions. Incorporating textures and patterns that evoke nature in fabrics, carpets, and other surface materials can have a similar effect. Referred to as biophilia, these “substitutes” for nature are understood by the brain to be nature-like, triggering corresponding neural responses. Even the use of natural materials like stone and wood can have a positive impact on children’s health and well-being when incorporated into a building’s design. The visual sensation and the sense of touch that natural materials offer enhance student well-being.��

Maximizing natural light��

Natural light is another feature that plays a critical role in supporting students’ well-being.��

According to the UCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering, “Natural light positively contributes to a higher academic performance in reading as well as in science. It also supports attention, the stability of the circadian cycle and overall health, mental health and comfort, which in turn, leads to better academic performance.”��

One way to integrate natural light into school designs is to orient classrooms to the south and north and include controllable daylight. At HMFH, we conduct lighting studies throughout the early stages of design to determine window size and positioning in classrooms. Then, we study various shading and reflecting devices to find the optimal solutions to maximize even, natural light deep into the classroom while minimizing glare. For example, skylights with controllable shading devices can bring natural light deep into other spaces within the building that don’t have direct outdoor access, while floor openings can be used to bring light down to the lower floors. This results in classrooms that minimize the need for artificial light during the day, thus helping distribute natural light while providing additional energy savings for the school.����

Another strategy is to integrate tunable lighting, a dynamic LED technology that offers adjustable color temperatures and intensities that mimic the spectrum of varying exterior light conditions. It’s another way to bring outdoor environments in, but its role extends beyond just emulating sunlight. Tunable lighting can also play a role in improving academic performance, behavior management, and even health.��

For example, teachers can use tunable lighting to customize classroom ambiance according to specific activities and learning needs, turning on cooler tones to promote focus and productivity and switching to warmer tones to incite relaxation and creativity. Meanwhile, new research suggests exposure to specific light wavelengths can positively affect some challenging behaviors associated with ADHD and ASD. Finally, for students struggling with unhealthy sleep cycles, tunable lighting can support the synchronization of circadian rhythms to better foster improved concentration and mood stability. To date, HMFH has incorporated tunable lighting in design programs for four different high schools, leveraging the technology in specialized lab spaces, special education and sensory spaces, and classrooms as a strategic complement to natural lighting to optimize learning environments, manage classroom behaviors, and promote overall student health and well-being.��

Nature’s powerful role in student well-being��

Fortunately, young students’ mental health and emotional well-being are beginning to receive more attention. As educators continue to adopt new strategies to better support their students, we can also look to the important role building design plays in promoting the enhanced well-being of the “whole student.” Specifically, schools can take steps to incorporate nature into students’ everyday lives by creating new green spaces, integrating natural textures, and enhancing access to natural light. Together, these design strategies increase students’ exposure to nature throughout the school day, making a profound impact on their health and well-being at a time when they’ve never needed it more.��

Matt LaRue is an HMFH Associate Principal and Stockholder.��

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The company has been doing preconstruction work at UD and is also preparing for upcoming construction, specifically at the Founder’s Hall dormitory. Throughout all of their work, Danis keeps the overall university image in mind, to ensure the campus has a cohesive aesthetic — especially with its new construction.

“We’re always happy to work with UD on their renovation and construction projects,” said John Danis, CEO at Danis. “The university is a major asset to our Dayton community and we’re proud to partner with them to make the campus the best it can be.”

In 2012, Danis completed renovations on the College Park Center (CPC) building façade, which included staining the yellow bricks red to match building exteriors campus-wide. Danis also added stone elements to the façade and softened the roofline.

Danis has worked with UD on several dormitories in the past, including first-year residence halls Marycrest and Stuart. UD was pleased with the work and decided to retain Danis for its Founders Hall dormitory renovations, set to begin this summer. Founders Hall, a first-year residence, was constructed in 1954 and houses approximately 400 students.

The Founders Hall renovations include:
• Building a new elevator and shaft;
• Creating a new, accessible vestibule entry from the courtyard side of the building;
• Renovating the exterior courtyard site;
• Installing a new emergency generator;
• Adding new fire suppression in the entire building;
• Installing a new HVAC to include air conditioning;
• Renovating all common bathrooms;
• Removing residence room wardrobes; and constructing fire wall separations between rooms.

The Danis team also recently performed preconstruction work on the UD Music Center for the Music Program’s relocation.

Danis began working with UD in 1947, including building and renovations for the following:
• Anderson Hall Computer Labs
• UD Arena Basketball Arena
• Student Housing
• Engineering & Research Building
• South Campus
• Kettering Residence Hall
• Kennedy Union
• Athletic Complex
• Music & Art Building
• Liberty Hall
• St. Joseph’s Hall
• Physics Impact Lab
• The Law School

According to Jason Carter, Danis’ project manager for the CPC renovations, Danis works on between two to three projects per year at UD, and is looking forward to continuing its work with the university in the future.

Danis also has experience building and renovating on a number of universities nationwide, including Xavier University; University of Cincinnati; Ohio State University; Miami University in Oxford, Ohio; Wright State University; North Carolina State University; University of North Carolina and Duke University.

For more information about the company and their recent or upcoming projects, please visit: .

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The four-year construction and renovation project known as the Foundations of Excellence, Building the Future, will be managed by Sharon Center, Ohio-based Ruhlin Co. The company was awarded the project after a competitive bidding and interview process. Ruhlin Co. will manage the scheduling, coordination, construction contracting, contract accounting and communications related to the initiative’s four primary capital projects.

The money will be used for several improvements and new construction projects on the university’s campus. Over the next four years, KSU will receive the following work under the management of Ruhlin Co.:

• Renovation of Cunningham, Smith and Williams halls, the most heavily used science buildings. The project also calls for the construction of a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) addition to increase academic and research spaces.
• The construction of a new College of Architecture and Environmental Design building. The 120,000-square-foot building will be located near the KSU Hotel and Conference Center, opening next June.
• Rehabilitation, reconstruction or replacement of the arts complex.
• Construction of a new three-story building for the College of Applied Engineering, Sustainability and Technology. It is estimated to be between 40,000 square feet to 50,000 square feet.

The projects are financed in part by the university’s issuance of $170 million in general receipts bonds.

Other projects at the university include plans to renovate the Olson Center for Undergraduate Studies, which was built in 1961 as a dining facility. The money for the project would come from the $5.9 million in bond revenue funds approved by the board of trustees. Also, the 10,000-square-foot Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center (MACC) Annex will be renovated using $2.5 million of the $170 million bonds acquired for campus-wide construction and is expected to be completed by next summer.

Student housing will also receive needed attention with almost $7 million to be used to upgrade the four buildings that make up the Eastway Residential Complex, a $2.6 million project. The renovation work will bring updated showers and restrooms in the 53-year-old Prentice Hall in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, while another $4.5 million will go to the renovation and expansion of the Field House locker rooms.

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A total of 26 districts in Ohio will be benefiting from school construction dollars. The state is also required to contribute local funding for school construction, which will nearly double the total construction dollars.

South-Western City School District received the most funding, totaling $124 million in state funding. The district will receive a total of $248 million for school construction, as local funds are expected to match state dollars for the projects.

Ohio school districts must raise their local share of the project within 13 months before the state funding can be released, according to the Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC). Districts that fail to acquire their funding in that period are considered “lapsed,” but can still participate in OSFC programs once they obtain local funding.

The money will come at a crucial time, when facility upgrades and new construction are in high demand throughout school districts. However, the funding awards are still contingent upon the Ohio State Controlling Board approval.

“This is a critical step in ensuring that our children are in new or renovated facilities that help support academic achievement,” said Richard Hickman, OSFC executive director.

Energy Conservation Savings

OSFC will also receive funding for districts through the savings produced by a new program that was recently introduced in the state. In late June, OSFC gave approval for five Ohio school districts to participate in the Commission’s Energy Conservation program, designed to produce significant energy conservation savings for the districts.

The Commission’s Energy Conservation program, more commonly known as the HB 264 program will guide the five districts to nearly $860,000 in annual energy and operational savings through the planned improvements, according to OSFC.

“Reducing energy costs and consumption is a major goal for school districts,” said Hickman in a statement. “The $860,000 in annual savings generated through the HB 264 program will allow these five districts to upgrade their facilities and become more energy-efficient. Furthermore, the energy savings will cover the cost of the financing used to fund the projects.”

Districts involved in energy conservation include Clinton-Massie Local, Graham Local, Shaker Heights City, Tipp City Exempted Village and the Upper Arlington City District.

In addition, all school buildings currently being designed or built with OSFC funds will receive at least LEED Silver certification, with a goal of meeting LEED Gold, according to OSFC. Two Ohio schools have already achieved LEED Platinum status, the highest LEED certification level, as well as 18 school buildings achieving LEED Gold, and another 13 receiving LEED Silver certification.

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Even with the vast array of sophisticated safety and security technology on the market for K-12 schools and postsecondary institutions, many security experts still agree there is no substitute for boots on the ground. A police officer or other security worker will always deter crime better than a camera. This is why many schools are starting to hire various national to ensure the safety of pupils.

The biggest threat to school security is a lack of awareness, the absence of continued vigilance and apathy, said Ken Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services, a Cleveland, Ohio-based pre-K-12 school security and emergency preparedness consulting firm.

He continues, School leaders can install all of the security equipment they can afford, but equipment must be a supplement to not a substitute for a comprehensive security and preparedness program. We often do a much better job today at throwing money at equipment than we do investing money and time in training school staff, students, security and police staff, and others on best practices in school security and emergency preparedness planning.

Experts also mostly agree the scope and nature of security needs at a college or university greatly differ compared to a K-12 school. Most K-12 schools, for example, are generally self-contained in one building.

It is easier to lock down a single building than a campus, which may have more than 100 buildings of all types: classrooms, lecture halls, residence halls, hospitals, research facilities, nuclear reactors, etc., said Paul Verrecchia, president of International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, a West Hartford, Conn.-based organization that promotes public safety for educational institutions by providing resources, advocacy and professional development to more than 1,200 colleges and universities in 20 countries.

The student population is vastly different, Verrecchia said. Colleges and universities host major Division I athletic programs, which can bring more than 100,000 visitors to a campus in the case of a major football program. These events require a high degree of security and planning, from traffic control to parking, and regulating drinking and security for the fans who attend the games.

Colleges also host lectures and visits by dignitaries and celebrities, which require security arrangements. Recently, colleges and universities have been the site of organized protests by the Occupy movement.

We are dealing with young adults who have a high degree of freedom and mobility on a college campus, Verrecchia said. We believe for the most part these students make the right decisions, but that is not always the case.

Following the Vietnam War protests of the late 1960s, college and university officials recognized they needed professional police departments, he said.

Today, many colleges and universities have police departments with sworn officers who have the same powers and duties as their municipal and state counterparts, he said.

With a myriad of security technology available, including physical access control, video surveillance and analytics, mass notification and intrusion detection, school officials face a challenge in figuring out which technology tool, or combination of tools, is right for their campus. There are also basic security measures that are used in the majority of schools, like each teach in the school has with their ID in so it is clear if there is someone in the school that doesn’t belong there.

Simply spending dollars on a widget doesnt solve anything and, in fact, can hurt the security plan long term, said Michael Anderson, regional manager for iXP Corporation, a Cranbury, N.J.-based consulting firm that works with different business sectors in developing and providing security environments.

You have to start with a vision and follow a process to identify what your needs and goals are and then identify what systems can move you toward achieving the safe campus, Anderson said. The best person to help the leadership and key stakeholders is an outside professional who has no stake in what systems you buy, but whose sole role is to guide you through a process of thoughtful selections.

Passive vs. Active Security

Ideally, K-12 schools and postsecondary institutions would have a combination of active and passive security measures. Passive security measures include access control systems, video monitoring and other means that use technologies. Active security measures involve posting an officer at a site or traffic control measures.

Each type of school poses unique challenges, and despite the differences in size, commonalities exist on how you protect the school, Anderson said. It all starts with a comprehensive concept of operations that details what your institutions specific security goals are, which allows you to select access control systems, video management systems, intrusion detection system and other security and non-security systems.

Many of todays security systems have both passive and active capabilities. For example, physical access control systems function as an extension of the door lock: Someone presents a badge or key to open the door.
Active security comes into play when a monitor of the access control system notices an alarm when an individual improperly attempts to gain access.

Video surveillance is a strong example of a system that can be passive or active, Anderson said. Passive systems view and record images, which typically are reviewed only when there has been an incident, whereas a video-management system that is coupled with video analytics and being monitored becomes an extension to the security force and acts as a workload management tool. It can be used to identify hazardous situations before they escalate or be used to verify the presence of an event before a security officer is dispatched.

As for which type of security measure is best, Anderson said a strong security plan uses the best of both passive and active security systems, while providing the added benefit of generating cost savings.

It is not necessary to place a security officer at each entrance point or potential threat location. This is expensive and unwieldy to manage, he said. Rather, a comprehensive security plan followed by a site survey to identify the risks and challenges provides the foundation for implementing technology. In my experience, a trained consultant is key to establishing the vision for security at the institution and then finding the right systems that solve your business problem.

Verrecchia adds that passive security measures do have their limitations. After all, cameras cannot be placed everywhere on campus. Doors can be locked, but effective outreach and crime prevention programs are especially needed.

Crime prevention is designed to educate students and others on the campus so they do not put themselves in a position where they may become a victim of a crime, Verrecchia said. A common example is that we tell students not to walk alone at night in dark or dimly lit areas.

For K-12 school security measures, access control and other physical security measures must be selected based upon site-specific assessments at each individual school, Trump said.

The technology must fit in striking a balance between heightened security and the day-to-day use of the educational facility, he said. The buy-in by school staff and students can be improved by having awareness and training programs to educate the school and community on security threats and the rationale behind security and preparedness measures being employed on campus. The first and best line of defense is always a well-trained, highly alert staff and student body.

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Even with the vast array of sophisticated safety and security technology on the market for K-12 schools and postsecondary institutions, many security experts still agree there is no substitute for boots on the ground. A police officer or other security worker will always deter crime better than a camera.

The biggest threat to school security is a lack of awareness, the absence of continued vigilance and apathy, said Ken Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services, a Cleveland, Ohio-based pre-K-12 school security and emergency preparedness consulting firm.

He continues, School leaders can install all of the security equipment they can afford, but equipment must be a supplement to not a substitute for a comprehensive security and preparedness program. We often do a much better job today at throwing money at equipment than we do investing money and time in training school staff, students, security and police staff, and others on best practices in school security and emergency preparedness planning.

Experts also mostly agree the scope and nature of security needs at a college or university greatly differ compared to a K-12 school. Most K-12 schools, for example, are generally self-contained in one building.

It is easier to lock down a single building than a campus, which may have more than 100 buildings of all types: classrooms, lecture halls, residence halls, hospitals, research facilities, nuclear reactors, etc., said Paul Verrecchia, president of International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, a West Hartford, Conn.-based organization that promotes public safety for educational institutions by providing resources, advocacy and professional development to more than 1,200 colleges and universities in 20 countries.

The student population is vastly different, Verrecchia said. Colleges and universities host major Division I athletic programs, which can bring more than 100,000 visitors to a campus in the case of a major football program. These events require a high degree of security and planning, from traffic control to parking, and regulating drinking and security for the fans who attend the games.

Colleges also host lectures and visits by dignitaries and celebrities, which require security arrangements. Recently, colleges and universities have been the site of organized protests by the Occupy movement.

We are dealing with young adults who have a high degree of freedom and mobility on a college campus, Verrecchia said. We believe for the most part these students make the right decisions, but that is not always the case.

Following the Vietnam War protests of the late 1960s, college and university officials recognized they needed professional police departments, he said.

Today, many colleges and universities have police departments with sworn officers who have the same powers and duties as their municipal and state counterparts, he said.

With a myriad of security technology available, including physical access control, video surveillance and analytics, mass notification and intrusion detection, school officials face a challenge in figuring out which technology tool, or combination of tools, is right for their campus.

Simply spending dollars on a widget doesnt solve anything and, in fact, can hurt the security plan long term, said Michael Anderson, regional manager for iXP Corporation, a Cranbury, N.J.-based consulting firm that works with different business sectors in developing and providing security environments.

You have to start with a vision and follow a process to identify what your needs and goals are and then identify what systems can move you toward achieving the safe campus, Anderson said. The best person to help the leadership and key stakeholders is an outside professional who has no stake in what systems you buy, but whose sole role is to guide you through a process of thoughtful selections.

Passive vs. Active Security

Ideally, K-12 schools and postsecondary institutions would have a combination of active and passive security measures. Passive security measures include access control systems, video monitoring and other means that use technologies. Active security measures involve posting an officer at a site or traffic control measures.

Each type of school poses unique challenges, and despite the differences in size, commonalities exist on how you protect the school, Anderson said. It all starts with a comprehensive concept of operations that details what your institutions specific security goals are, which allows you to select access control systems, video management systems, intrusion detection system and other security and non-security systems.

Many of todays security systems have both passive and active capabilities. For example, physical access control systems function as an extension of the door lock: Someone presents a badge or key to open the door.
Active security comes into play when a monitor of the access control system notices an alarm when an individual improperly attempts to gain access.

Video surveillance is a strong example of a system that can be passive or active, Anderson said. Passive systems view and record images, which typically are reviewed only when there has been an incident, whereas a video-management system that is coupled with video analytics and being monitored becomes an extension to the security force and acts as a workload management tool. A can be used to identify hazardous situations before they escalate or be used to verify the presence of an event before a security officer is dispatched. The security of any property is important, from a school, business to the safety of your home. Security cameras in a property monitors activity 24/7, even if you are not around. If this is something you are thinking about having in your home, would be good to research into, as this will give you an idea of how these cameras work and what is the best for your money.

As for which type of security measure is best, Anderson said a strong security plan uses the best of both passive and active security systems, while providing the added benefit of generating cost savings.

It is not necessary to place a security officer at each entrance point or potential threat location. This is expensive and unwieldy to manage, he said. Rather, a comprehensive security plan followed by a site survey to identify the risks and challenges provides the foundation for implementing technology. In my experience, a trained consultant is key to establishing the vision for security at the institution and then finding the right systems that solve your business problem.

Verrecchia adds that passive security measures do have their limitations. After all, cameras cannot be placed everywhere on campus. Doors can be locked, but effective outreach and crime prevention programs are especially needed.

Crime prevention is designed to educate students and others on the campus so they do not put themselves in a position where they may become a victim of a crime, Verrecchia said. A common example is that we tell students not to walk alone at night in dark or dimly lit areas.

For K-12 school security measures, access control and other physical security measures must be selected based upon site-specific assessments at each individual school, Trump said.

The technology must fit in striking a balance between heightened security and the day-to-day use of the educational facility, he said. The buy-in by school staff and students can be improved by having awareness and training programs to educate the school and community on security threats and the rationale behind security and preparedness measures being employed on campus. The first and best line of defense is always a well-trained, highly alert staff and student body.

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The 72,500-square-foot Alum Crest/Clearbrook School is slated for completion in the summer of 2013 and will welcome students that fall. The school will have two teachers and 12 students in each class.

The design of the $13.5 million school took into account the needs of its 100 middle school and 150 high school students who struggle with a range of emotional disturbances, defined in part as “an inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors,” according to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

“We had quite a few design challenges because of the kind of student population that we were dealing with,” said Jocelyn Krosky, associate with DesignGroup and lead on the Alum Crest project. “We designed sensory rooms, sensory gardens, a P.E. room where students can go to burn off some steam if they need to and extended-learning areas where students and teachers can have one-on-one instruction.”

Emotionally disturbed students react differently to materials and colors, so designing the interior of the campus was a crucial component of the project, Krosky said.

“We had to be very sensitive of materials and colors because very bright and loud colors might affect the students’ moods differently,” she said. “Brighter colors can sometimes trigger aggression, so we had to be very cognoscente of what type of colors and materials we were using at the school.”

The outdoor areas of the campus were designed to connect students to nature, which has been shown to relieve stress and aggression in emotionally disturbed students. Multipurpose fields, rainwater planters and a walking path through a grove of existing trees on the site are all intended to help teach students.

“What they (Columbus City Schools) really wanted was a school that these kids could come to and have true classrooms for high school kids, because these students do learn the same curriculum as other students in the district,” Krosky said. “So we needed to make sure that while we were sensitive to color, materials and things like that, we still wanted to make sure it looked like a typical school.”

Design Challenges

The students can be distracted easily, so the design team placed windows high in classrooms to make views of the outside less accessible.

That presented another challenge: to incorporate natural lighting and outdoor views in the classroom without using a whole wall of windows. The solution was a pattern of tall windows located at either end of the classroom with a high clerestory window in the center of the room.

“When we presented the fenestration pattern to the teachers, all agreed that this solved the distraction problem and achieved the goals of maintaining natural daylight and views to nature,” Krosky said.

The tall windows were installed adjacent to the teacher desks and the reading areas, and the high clerestory window in the center was built above the computer equipment.

“This project taught us how to marry green goals for a building with the needs of a specialized population,” Krosky said.

Outside the classroom, the team had the difficult task of preserving an archeologically significant third of the site. The existing prehistoric woodland Indian burial grounds and housing patterns on the western side of the site forced the architects to work around it.

“There is no legal protection for the archeological site — it’s never been put on any national or state register — so we’ve just made it our mission to protect that site,” said Carole Olshavsky, senior executive of capital improvements for Columbus City Schools. “We think there could be some educational opportunities for students with it as well, including having them work on a national registration for the site in the future.”

Green Building Elements

The school is designed with two geothermal well fields, which will save an estimated 39 percent in energy annually.

A 6,064-square-foot solar panel system will sit on the roof above the gym, cafeteria and media center. This system will generate approximately 75,000kWh per year to further reduce energy costs. The school is designed to earn a LEED Gold certification upon completion.

Yet another feature will be a zero-discharge stormwater infiltration design.

“The storm water design really stands out because it’s one of the first types of stormwater infiltration systems in the city,” Krosky said. “The city has never seen anything of this size or magnitude like this for a project.”

The green building features will help the school save energy and reduce costs, while providing a cleaner and more technological environment for the students when they arrive for classes in fall 2013.

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The new 93,000-square-foot arts center — designed with clean lines, steely hues and concrete and metal material — stands in contrast to its brick surroundings, a design concept created by international architectural firm Snøhetta.

The firm, with offices in Oslo, Norway and New York City, designed the center with a number of public areas to draw visitors in, as well as functional work areas with plenty of natural light. The center is Snøhetta’s first completed project in the United States; its 9/11 museum in New York City opens in 2012.

The building is a response to the smooth planes of the northwest Ohio landscape, with its far horizons and big sky, according to Craig Dykers, principal and founding member of Snøhetta. The center houses classrooms, rehearsal spaces, performance areas and office space and is the new home of the Department of Theatre and Film. It features a walk-through that connects the visual arts campus to the performing arts campus, creating a more unified arts environment to inspire creativity across disciplines, according to design firm officials.

Funding for the project came from Frederic and Mary Wolfe of Perrysburg, Ohio. A major gift from Thomas and Kathleen Donnell of Findlay, Ohio, supported the construction of the main theater, which bears their name. Toledo, Ohio-based The Collaborative was the local partner on the project, and Ryan Miller of the campus design and construction office served as project manager.

A state-assisted, residential institution, the University has an enrollment of about 20,000 students on two campuses and nearly 900 full-time faculty members.

Snøhetta worked closely with international theater design and planning firm Theatre Projects, with U.S. headquarters in South Norwalk, Conn., who provided programming, concept design, theatre planning and theatre equipment design and specification.

The school will offer a public tour on Dec. 9, led by Dykers and Vanessa Kassabian, Snøhetta’s senior architect. The building will open to the public at 9 p.m. with a showcase of ArtsX, the university’s arts programs. Faculty and students from the Department of Theatre and Film, the School of Art and the College of Musical Arts will present performances, demonstrations, exhibits and sales.

Project Team

Architect of Record: The Collaborative Inc.
Design Architect: Snøhetta
Theater Design and Planning Consultant: Theatre Projects Consultants
Acoustician: Akustiks
Construction Consultant: Barton Malow Co.
Testing Agency: TTL Associates
Commissioning Consultant: STAN and Associates Inc.
Lead Contractor: Rudolph-Libbe
MEP/Structural Engineer: Korda/Nemeth Engineering
Scheduling Consultants: Construction Process Solutions LTD
Electrical Contractor: Lake Erie Electric
HVAC Contractor: Vaughn Industries
Plumbing Contractor: Bayes Inc.
Fire Protection: S.A. Communale
Sound: Torrence Sound Equipment
Materials: Quality Building Supplies
Electrical Contractor: Graybar Electric
Steel Erection: Henry Gurtzweiler Inc.
Roof and Wall Panels: C.L. Rieckhoff Co. Inc.
Finishes: Valley Interior Systems
Stage Equipment: Janson Industries

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