Springfield, MA – Capped by a signature bell tower and cloaked in floor-to-ceiling windows for daylighting its interior, the new 58,000 square foot Richard B. Flynn Campus Union opens this month at Springfield College. Dedication ceremonies were held on Feb. 4th. Designed by Cambridge-based SMMA/Symmes Maini and McKee Associates, the $15 million, three-story complex will anchor campus life and foster community activity for the 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students on campus.
The new building includes space for student programs, organizations, and activities, the career center and facilities for international programs. Amenities in the new student union include a food court for casual dining and snack service, bookstore, post office, study lounge and student activity space, and large multi-purpose room overlooking Lake Massasoit. The SMMA team renovated and expanded the school’s existing Beveridge Center to create a portion of the new student hub, and replaced the former Woods Hall to make the most beneficial use of a central campus site. A striking brick-façade entrance faces the college’s main quad, topped by a signature bell tower.
Planning and design for the project began in October 2007, with a groundbreaking in June 2008. The center’s namesake, Richard B. Flynn, is Springfield College president and a steadfast advocate for enriching student life through campus improvements and architecture. “First and foremost, it is fitting that a student-centered building is named for Dick Flynn,” said Springfield College Board of Trustees Chair Sally Griggs. “Since day one, his priority has been to ensure that each Springfield College student receives the best educational experience, and to do so in a learning and living environment that offers new and enhanced state-of-the-art facilities, outstanding instruction and programming, and a vibrant campus life.”
“Our goal for the school was to translate the aspirations of a dozen programs and groups into a cohesive and inspiring gathering place for students and faculty,” noted Alex Pitkin, SMMA VP and director of the firm’s Institutional Practice. “That the Union is located on such an important and beautiful place on campus, reconnecting the historic quadrangle and taking advantage of panoramic views of the lake, was a rare opportunity on an evolving campus.
Since 1885, Springfield College has been at the forefront in the education of tomorrow’s leaders. Celebrating its 125th Anniversary, the College is recognized worldwide for developing leaders in human and social services, health sciences, sports and movement studies, the arts and sciences, business, and the human-helping fields. The innovative spirit that began at Springfield College – as the Birthplace of Basketball ® – continues today in its Humanics philosophy of education: development of a student’s spirit, mind, and body in preparation for a lifetime of service to humanity.
SMMA Designs New Student Union Building at Springfield College
Capped by a signature bell tower and cloaked in floor-to-ceiling windows for daylighting its interior, the new 58,000 square foot Richard B. Flynn Campus Union opens this month at Springfield College. Dedication ceremonies were held on Feb. 4th.