The transformative renovation and addition to Dunbar Hall has created a vibrant hub designed with flexibility and change in mind.
National interdisciplinary design firm, HGA, is excited to announce the completion of a transformative renovation and addition to Dunbar Hall at Western Michigan University (WMU). HGA partnered with the Michigan-based team at TowerPinkster who contributed to the architecture, interior design, furniture, MEP, structural, technology design, security, and landscape architecture.
Dunbar Hall is home to many of the academic units that make up the College of Arts and Sciences and hosts space for the College of Fine Arts.
This 50-year-old building has undergone a complete renovation with a full overhaul of the building’s MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) systems. An addition to the 1970’s building takes its geometric cues from its Brutalist host. The addition consists of transparent, bird friendly glazing, and provides accessible entrances at each end of the building. A new elevator and open stairs invite exploration of the various programs, services, and student-centric shared learning spaces within it. In the spaces between the floors and open stairs are pockets for collaboration and informal learning, all with views of the southern tree line and newly developing south campus, Hilltop Village. The addition inverted the existing double-loaded corridor and provides entry points for key programmatic elements accessed from the light-filled addition.
“The revitalized Dunbar Hall reflects WMU’s commitment to providing students with a world-class educational experience. The modern learning spaces prepare students for future success in a collaborative and technology-driven world” said Carla Koretsky, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at WMU.
Tailored Design for Modernized Learning
Dunbar Hall, a cornerstone for WMU’s Arts & Sciences programs, was an aging building that, with a small but mighty addition, has been transformed into a vibrant hub designed with flexibility and change in mind. Through a collaborative design process, students, faculty and staff envisioned new possibilities, leading to reimagined classrooms, workspaces and pedagogical models, and promoting accessibility, diversity and inclusion throughout.
Throughout the collaborative design process, HGA collected feedback through several rounds of engagement, such as town halls, to ensure students’ concerns, requests and overall input were included. In addition to the feedback loops and town halls, HGA met with WMU’s Disability Services for Students to hear their ideas and interests. Input from all sessions was incorporated into the building, such as the use of different colors on each floor and wayfinding that aids those with low vision in quickly understanding where they are. Large numbers were printed on the walls, allowing exterior approaches to the doors to be easily findable and accessible. A visible and grounding elevator tower, with superscaled floor level graphics orients building users from various building entry points.
Empowering Users, Redefining Learning
HGA, as the lead design and planning architect, focused on user needs. The design prioritizes:
- Flexible Learning Environments: Reconfigured classrooms with team-based learning layouts and a mix of large lecture spaces, smaller group study areas and dedicated spaces for asynchronous learning.
- Advanced Technology Integration: Seamlessly integrated technology to enhance the curriculum and foster a dynamic learning experience.
- Student Success Hub: A dedicated space for academic support services to empower students to thrive.
- Improved Accessibility: A new addition with ADA-compliant features and enhanced vertical circulation creates a more connected and accessible space for all.
“The new, state-of-the-art, penthouse dance studio will elevate the student experience in a cutting-edge facility equipped with modern technology and enhanced comfort features,” said Daniel Guyette, dean of the College of Fine Arts. “WMU’s Department of Dance offers nationally ranked training for dance students and the new studio offers an ideal setting for that training.”
About HGA
HGA is a national interdisciplinary design firm committed to making a positive, lasting impact for our clients and communities through research-based, holistic solutions. We believe that great design requires a sense of curiosity—forming deep insight into our clients, their contexts, and the human condition. We are a collective of more than 1,000 architects, engineers, interior designers, planners, researchers, and strategists. Our practice spans multiple markets, including science and technology, corporate, cultural, education, local and federal government, and healthcare. Visit HGA.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.
About WMU
WMU students are individuals who are truly unique. At Western, we celebrate the passions that drive students and the possibilities that inspire them. For us, a degree is a pursuit of purpose where students are empowered to learn and where an experience-driven education leads to a meaningful career. Broncos prosper. Nine out of 10 graduates are employed quickly, working in their field in jobs they like.* WMU students make their mark on the world—Grammy recipients, Super Bowl champions, doctors, teachers, pilots and countless others have flourished here. Western is the place where students become the best version of themselves.
HGA Media Contact
Michelle Nelsen, Public Relations Director
mnelsen@hga.com