Project Description
The Schneider Center at Wellesley College was recently converted into a new Student Services Center. Built in 1904, the building originally served as a performance hall but then became a bustling student union after a major conversion in the 1970’s. However, in the last ten years the building had fallen out of use and hosted temporary occupants as swing space. designLAB recently oversaw the restoration of Schneider Center’s nearly 20,000 SF as the new home of six diverse administrative departments.
The project goal was to create a fresh, open and inviting space for students to gain counseling, registration, financial aid, and study abroad support, among other services. The challenge undertaken by the architects was to combine disparate student services in a way that is intuitive, seamless, and best serves the student population while leveraging the real architectural potential of the space. designLAB also used the project as an opportunity to revitalize a quiet area of campus as a new, co-curricular ‘student centered’ neighborhood.