Indiana University South Bend, Administration Building Remodel

The administration of Indiana University South Bend occupies a former corporate headquarters building, originally designed in the 1960s for CEOs and typing pools. Spaces within the building were large but difficult to use, with a few large offices and lots of redundant circulation space. Most of the interior finishes were from the 1960s, including worn wool carpets, dated leather and fabric-covered doors, and distressed pecky cypress wood paneling.
Directed by the chancellor to eliminate the inefficiencies and dated appearance of the building, the architect analyzed the building and created a master plan for phased improvements. Initial work included upgrading the major public spaces in the building, improving the chancellor’s boardroom and meeting rooms, and creating a unified department for the College of Business and Economics.
The design used a composition of standard building materials to update and unify the building’s appearance. A limited palette of glass, aluminum, terrazzo and wood subtly reveals the hierarchy of spaces within the building. Salvaged and refinished, the pecky cypress paneling accents significant points within the building, including doorways to major departments, the public lobby before the chancellor’s boardroom, and along and over the main staircase. Careful use of standard ceiling grid, tiles and light fixtures emphasizes the main routes through the building, pointing to lobby areas on each floor. Storefront windows provide higher visibility to public areas of the building, and coordinate with a new glass and steel guardrail along the main stair.

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