How do you take an old recreation building and turn it into a dynamic center of campus activity? Paul Hollenbeck, principal owner of The Collaborative, Inc., met the challenge head-on, and his team created an impressive plan. "It will have a real active and energetic kind of feel to it, and we're trying to expose that energy to the center of the building," Hollenbeck said. "Offices and conference rooms will have lots of glass so that you can see what's happening in the center of the building, and that's a little bit unlike many of the spaces at Adrian College that are more internally oriented. This is going to be a very unique kind of building because it'll be a place you can see and be seen - and that's so appropriate for a student hangout."

The architects have encountered several challenges along the way, most stemming from the fact that Ridge, in its original form, was built in stages. Consequently, there are seven or eight different floor elevations, and Hollenbeck had to make sure each level was not only functional, but also handicap accessible. Another challenge was "turning the building over," a phrase used by Hollenbeck to describe how the building now has to have a pedestrian and a campus quad angle because Williams Street will no longer be the main entrance. The huge fly loft (near the back of the old stage) will thus undergo a major transformation, as it will be shorter, will have windows and will be the main entrance.

According to Hollenbeck, a lot of the building's interior architectural features will remain, even though the square footage will increase. "People will still see things like the roof trusses and the main columns, and you'll still have a sense as to where the edges of the main competitive sports floor were. Respecting the existing architecture has been high on our list because of the building's unique qualities and the history of the interior space.

"Externally, the building envelope will be totally restored and made new again, as we take it back to what it was historically."  

Organize this

When Rush Union was built in 1957, its programming space was most likely ideal for a small student body. Not so in 2002, as more than 50 student organizations are active on campus, representing cultural, religious, recreational, performance and academic interests. Most lack adequate meeting space, so Ridge will house the offices of student government, WVAC and the College World, Campus Activities Network, and Panhellenic Council - just to name a few.

"We'll have a common meeting place that is very official," senior Jen Kay said. "Some organizations do a lot of collaboration activities, so there will be a lot of brainstorming."

Kay, the 2003 senior class president, is just one of the many students who met with the architects and  toured student centers at other campuses.

"I think we've done a lot of research," she said. "We have student input, we have staff input - I think we've definitely done our homework, and we know we're going to get a good value out of it. I've been involved with student government for three years and every year students say, 'Wouldn't it be cool to have this?' or 'Wouldn't it be cool to have that?' This is the place to house it all in a really fun atmosphere - and everyone will find something about it that will be helpful."

If these walls could talk

No other building on campus has such a storied history. Can Mahan Hall brag about hosting a circus? No way. In its heyday, Ridge was home to successful Bulldog basketball, volleyball and wrestling teams that were the talk of the MIAA. But that's not all. Talented performers graced the stage. Commencement was held there. Out of the ordinary events - like professional wrestling and boxing matches - have held court there. Eleanor Roosevelt even visited once to give a speech for the United Way. In the last decade, it's been a temporary library and a makeshift student center.

It has so many years, so many memories.

"It's a point of reference for a lot of people," Bruce Stephens '59 said. "This is an opportunity to preserve the past, which should have a lot of meaning and significance for students and student-athletes who have been in that building."

The living room just got bigger

The new student center will have a long list of amenities and provide a plush new space to hang out. The building will house a 24-hour computer lab, student mailboxes, art studios, programming and meeting space, a game room, a TV lounge, food service space - the list goes on and on.

According to Pam Boersig, vice president and dean for student affairs, the state-of-the-art facility will be a medium that allows us to collaborate and communicate.

"Ridge will be a place that students can call their own and will be a connection point for students, faculty and staff," Boersig said. "As a 24-hour facility, I think students will redesign their lives so that they can do 'one-stop-shopping.'"

Senior Kevin Inkrott agrees, especially since he has heard firsthand the 'oohs' and 'aahs' of students who have seen the plans. "I think students will embrace the student center and will add it to their experience, just like the way the renovated Shipman Library took off right off the bat," he said.

Click here for more plans.