Case Western Reserve University, Crawford Hall Renovations

Cleveland, Ohio

Firm

EwingCole

Client

Case Western Reserve University

Area

13,900 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$1,700,000

Completion Date

05/2007

The renovation of Crawford Hall, designed in 1968, recaptures the mid-century building’s original spirit. Underutilized space on the first and ground levels was reclaimed as the SAGES/Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence Center.
Key components of the SAGES program are comfortable, attractive and functional seminar rooms adjacent to informal gathering spaces. The Inamori Center adds large-scale flexible meeting spaces that are suitable for hosting academic conferences. SAGES Cafe connects the upper- and lower-level academic spaces.
First-floor existing partitions and dropped ceilings were removed and replaced with suspended, sloped acoustical panels with an integrated lighting system to support the SAGES program’s open plan. The panels create a visual pattern that unifies programmatic elements. Suspended wood ceiling panels serve a similar purpose on the lower-level Inamori Center.
Flexible teaching spaces are a requirement of both SAGES and Inamori. Movable furnishings allow for alternative teaching configurations in small seminar rooms, as well as large classrooms. Retractable sliding walls in the Inamori Center create a Japanese sense of spatial subdivision, and permit a quick and easy transformation of seminar rooms into large classrooms, meeting rooms or banquet rooms.