University of Northern Iowa - Schindler Education Center

DLR Group

Recognitions: People's Choice Award 2019

Project Description

The University of Northern Iowa wanted to update its 40+ year old education building into an environment that educates future teachers to inspire and prepare learners to live in an ever-changing, globalized world. DLR Group’s design fosters and promotes creativity, collaboration and communication through the careful integration of adaptable, technology-rich environments that encourage interaction between students, faculty and the community. The design establishes several breakout areas with readily configurable furniture that enables students to quickly congregate and collaborate. Informal learning spaces are ‘carved out’ of corridors and main thoroughfares to create nodes where students cross paths in a natural way that creates a welcoming community feel. The first and second floors are connected by a series of open stairways that encourage greater interaction between the high traffic student commons area and the more formal faculty areas. The scope of this project included a complete renovation of an existing 150,480 SF building to open up and update the learning environments into space that supports 21st Century learning. DLR Group provided architecture, interior design, mechanical and electrical engineering in conjunction with Stantec as design architect.