Sense of Place

Is it a food court or is it a nightclub? Some creative renovations have made this space both.

FUNCTION: By day, the food court area of Old Dominion University's Webb Center offers franchise restaurants and room for studying and socializing. At night, students hit the same hot spot when they want a cool place to hang out.

Enhanced opportunities for personal growth and intellectual development are what students residing in West Virginia University's new residence hall will get.

FUNCTION: A residential college housing 350 students and a faculty member and his family, with 11 faculty fellows (including the resident faculty member) teaching freshmen seminars and 25 "associate members" from the community dropping in to interact with students

One reason this urban, land-locked school's identiTy wasn't fully understood was its lack of a central meeting place. As part of a campus rebranding effort, The University of Baltimore Student Center building has become a "literal and figurative 'face' of UB," says spokesman Chris Hart.

FUNCTION: Sports and rec center featuring interactive art exhibits and displays of athletics history at Haverford College, a 1,140-student school.

This campus is not just located in Brooklyn Heights. It truly serves the community there, with this new building and others.

After multiple additions, the character of an original building can get lost. But what's old can be made new again.

FUNCTION: Campus center for groups, special uses, and everyday social interaction among students and staff at Texas Tech.

With a fountain, cupolas, and other aesthetic features, a 32,500-square-foot plaza serves as a campus centerpiece while alleviating a parking crunch for this Hyde Park, N.Y., college.

FUNCTION: Located in front of Roth Hall, Anton Plaza is an everyday gathering place that also can be used for outdoor banquets.

FUNCTION: Rec center and student lounge

FUNCTION: Social hub (dining hall, meeting and lounge space, snack bar, convenience store) for campus community of four residence halls