Muskingum College, New Concord, OH
nora Products Seal the Deal at Muskingum College
The Walter K. Chess Center represents a coming together—of students who use the facility for meetings, physical fitness and social gatherings; of residence halls situated on opposite sides of a 42-foot deep ravine; of mechanical systems and interior finishes into a single, sustainable design; and of school administrators, architects and a nora sales rep who collaborated to place the college seal and the history it represents at the heart of the new building, using 9 mm norament 992 grano from nora systems, Inc.
The three-story, 23,000-square-foot student center on the campus of Muskingum College in New Concord, OH, sits on the east slope of a steep, two-tiered ravine, along with three residence halls. Three additional dormitories are located across the valley on the west slope of the ravine.
According to Muskingum College President Anne Steele, “As we thought about a new student center, our charge to the architect was to bring the residential community together in a state-of-the-art building that supports the education of the whole person.”
Architects at Bialosky + Partners, Cleveland, OH, accomplished the task before them, both literally and figuratively. The $9 million Walter K. Chess Center links the six residence halls with a 335-foot pedestrian bridge that spans the ravine between them and creates a residential community that brings students together for a variety of activities.
“Inside the center, each floor has its own identity,” noted Senior Interior Designer Tracy Sciano-Vajskop, IIDA, Bialosky + Partners. “The upper level is the quiet area, with meeting rooms, study rooms and a library annex. The more active second floor is the fitness area, and the lower level is the social space with a game room, snack bar, events hall and an outdoor patio.
The choice of interior finishes reflects the school’s commitment to sustainability. On the second level, for example, 9mm norament 992 grano provides a durable, long-lasting floor covering that provides all the performance benefits that an active fitness center demands. “Our students use free weights in this area. We needed a floor that could stand up to that kind of activity,” said Steele.
“Ease of maintenance was also important to us,” Steele added. “We wanted a floor covering that would be easy to clean and maintain. I realized nora was the right product for us after visiting another facility that had installed nora flooring. Even though the floor saw a tremendous amount of traffic and had been down for quite some time, it was stunningly beautiful and looked as if it had been installed the day before our visit. That convinced me of the floor’s durability and ability to look good for years to come.
“But at the same time,” Steele continued, “we were looking for a floor that would help us create an environment that promotes good health by preventing the growth of various bacteria that tend to be associated with fitness spaces. This helps us meet that challenge.”
According to both Steele and Sciano-Vajskop, the nora flooring also provided an opportunity for creativity. As interior finishes for the project were considered, the designer proposed photographing the Muskingum College seal, enlarging it to the size of the building and superimposing it on—or in this case, inlaying it in—the floor.
Steele loved the concept. “The seal speaks to the illustrious history of the college—a symbolism that unites us together.”
To get the symbolism just right, nora created a custom color to closely match the school’s magenta and black color scheme. “This is a story of true collaboration,” said Sciano-Vajskop, “bringing together an architect’s design, the school’s commitment to that design, and nora’s excitement to be part of the design by providing the right product in a custom color and even identifying the appropriate contractor to create the graphic and install the job.”
According to Steele, the results speak for themselves. “Students in the fitness area can look out the expanse of glass before them and enjoy the beauty of this campus. They can also gaze at the seal of the college embedded in the floor and be reminded of the history that surrounds them. I think that’s pretty special.”
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USA
Toll-Free: 800-332-NORA
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