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September 25, 2008
Windsor Dining Court design honored by national publication
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - |
American School and University magazine selected the dining court and profiled it in its August 2008 Education Interiors Showcase issue.
The magazine praised the design that transformed a confined basement space, "into an inviting yet efficient dining atmosphere that blends well with other recently modernized campus dining facilities," and for incorporating, "a modern design theme with the traditional look and feel of the original design."
The marketplace-style dining facility features English accents, including slate and clay tile flooring along with brick and oak paneled walls with limestone and iron architectural features that blend with the existing motif in the attached Windsor Residence Halls. Historic lighting fixtures from the previous dining hall were incorporated into the new design. Natural lighting pours in through large windows.
"Windsor is a perfect example of our determination to create restaurant-like ambience in a university dining operation," said Sarah Johnson, director of dining services for University Residences. "Being somewhat smaller than some of our other dining courts, it feels more intimate."
The designers, Scholer Corp. of Lafayette, and Ricca Newmark Design of Denver, had to address several significant mechanical and engineering challenges for the redesign.
"The building had several spatial limitations, but we wanted to make it as open as possible," said Johnson. "Melding the dining and food preparation areas created a more unique dining experience."
Johnson said students enjoy the new design.
"They easily can get from one food service area to another and can choose between several dining areas with different ambience and seating options, including tables, stools or booths," she said.
Windsor Dining Court is just west of the center of campus on Martin Jischke Drive and is open to the public. The 38,000-square-foot residence hall dining court can seat 500 diners. Small groups can reserve private dining rooms for breakfast or weekend meals.
Eight food stations allow diners to choose from international foods such as Indian, African, Caribbean or Italian, as well as vegetarian or American dishes. The dining court is noted for hosting a series of cultural nights highlighting the diverse cultures represented on Purdue's campus through food, music and art
The upgraded dining facility reopened in August 2005. Since then the dining court has won two design awards from American School and University and another from College Planning and Management magazine. The $12 million project is part of a six-year, $58 million food service plan that is funded through bonds that will be repaid through savings generated by increased efficiencies resulting from consolidating the number of campus dining facilities.
Purdue University Residences has based the Windsor Dining Court design on the same concepts as the previously opened dining courts at Earhart and Hillenbrand halls and the freestanding Ford Dining Court. The final new court opened in July just south of Wiley Hall. It will be dedicated on Oct. 2.
Altogether the courts serve about 17,000 meals per day.
Writer: Jim Schenke, (765) 494-6262, jschenke@purdue.edu
Sources: John Sautter, vice president for Housing and Food Services, (765) 494-1000, jasautter@purdue.edu
Sarah Johnson, (765) 494-1000, scj@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
PHOTO CAPTION:
Windsor Dining Court has won several national design awards since it reopened in 2005. (Purdue Housing and Food Services photo)
A publication-quality photo is available at https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/+2007/windsor-award.jpg
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