Greeting The Green
Case Western Reserve University, Olin Building Renovation
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Cleveland, OH | 13,600 SF
Re-oriented toward the main quad, the Olin Building's new entrance positions the building (and the work of the department within) for greater visibility on campus.
Once hidden away in the concrete block corridors of the Olin Building, Case Western Reserve University’s (CWRU) Department of Computer & Data Sciences will soon welcome visitors through a more inviting front door. Though it is currently located on the Case Quad, the building’s entry is tucked away around the corner, effectively cutting it off from CWRU’s main thoroughfare.
Drag the slider to see the entry’s transformation.
Reorienting the Olin Building, the renovation creates a new, ground-level entry that welcomes students directly from the quad. Existing stone and small windows are being replaced with a large expanse of glass at the entry to bring in daylight and better connect to the quad. Clad in warm wood and black aluminum panels, the new vestibule and cantilevered entry canopy endows the building’s limestone façade with a dynamic, new look. Jutting out above the entrance, the canopy breaks with the square geometry of Olin’s façade as well as the right-angles that structure the quad. Along with the wood, which continues into the building (transformed into ceiling and wall surfaces) the canopy’s angles draw pedestrians into the building.
The design carefully manages ductwork, electrical, data, and audiovisual runs to prevent visual clutter from hindering its beauty.
From small, easy-to-reconfigure labs and collaborative graduate offices to presentation labs with high-performance audiovisual systems, the renovation supports the Department of Computer & Data Sciences’ mission.
This opens onto a hub of activity, where students and staff work closely in and out of the classroom. By shifting departmental offices from the ground floor to the eighth and cutting a large opening between the first two floors, the renovation welcomes visitors into a space with glass-lined classrooms, computer labs, graduate student offices, and a student lounge. In addition to added transparency and light the renovation makes these floors feel more expansive by stripping away dated finishes and exposing the beautiful waffle slab ceiling of each floor.
The lounge helps students extend conversation and collaboration beyond the lab.
Allowing students to survey the activity taking place all around them, this transforms the Olin Building’s once cramped, concrete block halls into a sunlit destination where students connect to the life of the department.
Redistributing the building's program will concentrate student activity on the first floor inviting curiosity.