Northern Arizona University Dining Hall and Student Union Expansion
Flagstaff, Arizona
INTEGRATED SERVICES
Architecture,
Engineering,
Interior Design,
Planning and
Structural Engineering
project size
27,000 SF
Completion
2008
The new dining hall addition is located adjacent to the existing student union and campus field house to create a central student services hub. Partially defined by the angle of the pedestrian path that continues north to the city of Flagstaff, the design of this addition provides a focal point of the campus. Within the building, six food platforms offer students a variety of food choices. The dining hall’s 24/7 operations also provide the University’s 18,000 students with a flexible area to study or gather and socialize in large or small groups.
The new addition connects inside to outside through a two-story shaded glass façade adjacent to the primary campus north/south pedestrian spine. The glass dematerializes the border between inside and outside, effectively extending the campus experience to the limits of the surrounding buildings.
The design creates multiple types of seating experiences that take advantage of the interior/exterior connections. Outdoor seating and the glass-fronted east elevation of the new two-story building create a seamless connection between the dining hall’s interior and the energy of the surrounding student quad. Inside, a variety of seating types lend to dining, as well as individual and group study.