The University Memorial Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder has received a design award from the Association of College Unions International for the 2002 expansion and renovation of the UMC.
The first annual ACUI award, the 2005 Design Award of Excellence, highlights excellence in the design of student-centered facilities supporting campus community building and student learning. CU-Boulder's UMC is one of eight award recipients from 22 submissions around the world.
The 2002 UMC expansion and renovation project was submitted by the project's lead designers, WTW Architects, based in Pittsburgh.
UMC Director Carlos Garcia said that having the students' involvement from the outset of the project helped fulfill the UMC student-centered mission.
"The design of the building reflects the UMC's role as the 'living room' of the CU-Boulder campus," Garcia said. "It's the best place for students to grab a bite to eat, meet with classmates and friends, hear music, take care of business, or just relax between classes. The design of the building accommodates the UMC's desire to be at the center of campus life."
Applicants for the award were rigorously judged on the successful fulfillment of the following criteria: how involved students and the community were in the planning and design process; the inclusion of partnerships and involvement with other campus departments in the planning process; the definition of the campus community's goals and how the design reflected those goals; the effective use of spaces that support building community and student learning; the creative use of materials and building systems; the implementation of strategies for passive and active energy efficiency; and other technical considerations for use of sustainable materials.
Over the course of the two-year project, more than 275 tons of sandstone and clay tile were salvaged and reused, and more than 935 tons of material were reclaimed or recycled.
In May 2000 the UMC broke ground on its $27 million expansion and renovation project. Student involvement began several years earlier and continued through the project's 2002 completion.
The design included adding a 51,000-square-foot wing and renovating the existing 212,000-square-foot building, originally built in 1953. Design priorities for the project included increasing available space and services to students and the larger community, upgrading the building's technology and conference rooms, creating a safer, more user-friendly building, and using sustainable design principles and materials.
The UMC features a five-story atrium and houses about 90 student groups, several restaurants, more than 30 meeting rooms and lounges, the CU Bookstore, a pharmacy, a travel agency, a credit union, art gallery, several student-services offices, a night club, a computer lab and a bowling alley and games room.