What's In the Richard and Margot Warch Campus Center?

Brief Listing:

Student Activities Floor (4th level floor plan): Workspace and storage for student organization/clubs; Campus Life Office; LUCC Offices; Student Publications; Computer lab; Meeting Rooms
Main Floor (3rd level floor plan): Information Desk; Great Room; Great View Room; Catering Office; Logo Store; Café; Meeting Room
Student Programming Floor (2nd level floor plan): Convenience Store; Post Office/Mailboxes; Fireplace Lounge; Meeting Rooms; Cinema; Multi-purpose performance and meeting spaces; Late-night activity space
Dining Floor (1st level): Meeting Rooms; Student Dining; Kitchen; Servery

More Information

Campus Center Technology

The center will have up-to-date networking, presentation, and access control systems. The building will, of course, be on the campus network and will be extensively “wired” so that access to that network can be had easily from offices and public spaces within the building. In particular, all public spaces in the building will afford wireless access to the campus network. Further, a general-access computer lab will be located in the campus life area on the fourth floor.

The building will also take advantage of the latest in access control and surveillance technologies, which will help in balancing ease of access with safety for building users. Access to the building after hours and entrance to restricted areas within the building will be controlled by the campus ID card system. In addition, building entrances, exits, and stairwells will be monitored by a video surveillance system.

Since the campus center will be used extensively for meetings, presentations, and performances of many types by many groups, particular attention has been paid to technologies that support these kinds of events, including high-resolution projectors, bright screens, tuned sound systems, and flexible, easy-to-use control systems. Portable equipment will be used for meetings in the small dining rooms on the first floor. On the second level (student programming space and cinema), third level (Great Room, Great View Room, and Conference Room), and fourth levels (two conference rooms), the presentation components will be permanently installed and designed with flexibility, ease of use, and high-quality in mind.

In the cinema (second level), lighting, projection, and sound have been designed to offer a theater-quality video experience.

Student Activities Floor (4th level)

The fourth floor, which looks down on the “main street,” offers dedicated space for the 140 student organizations and activities which are presently scattered across our campus. It will house campus government, student clubs, and student publications (Ariel, the Lawrentian, and our literary publication), as well as the Office of Campus A ctivities, which advises students and campus organizations.

Adjacent to our larger of two conference rooms on this floor is a 660 square foot storage area for all the athletic and activity equipment that is rentable by students or owned by specific groups. A large workroom has been planned with appropriate surfaces to create posters, banners, and other art- related projects. Off the central lounge and within the student office area will be a computer lab, a necessity for an active campus organizations. It is intended that all student organizations will be able to use this area not only for storage but also for planning and work sessions. A further benefit of this central location is the opportunity to interact with the leadership and members of other clubs. The abundance of glass walls and windows on this level offers an appealing view down to the “main street” and out to Lawe Street, the John Street plaza, and the land bridge.

Main Floor (3rd level)

The main entrance into the campus center will be from the John Street Plaza, an area with multiple seating options and art work. This is the patio onto which the café’s outdoor dining will extend in fair weather and offers a place to observe the pedestrians coming and going across the land bridge. Once inside, students will find the Café’s indoor dining area which will operate 18 hours a day, its menu offerings changing as the hours pass. Next to the café is the “logo” store, which will sell Lawrence- “branded” items. An essential part of any building serving the whole campus is the
Information Desk. This desk will be located on the “main street” and offer ticket sales, check cashing, maps, copying and fax services, and information about activities taking place in the building.

Proceeding down “main street,” you will enter either the Great View Room or the Great Room. Normally configured as lounges, these rooms will double as banquet facilities by exchanging the lounge furniture for dining tables and chairs, . The Great View Room will overlook the Fox River and the wooded landscape below. The interior of this floor will house a meeting room and also the offices of the c atering d epartment. To the east, the building will connect with the Sage Hall terrace, where you will find steps leading down to the river walk. This walk, reflecting a design developed by an environmental studies class at Lawrence, parallels the north bank of the Fox River and extends as far east as Trever Hall.

Student Programming Space (2nd level)

Designed to be an especially inviting space for students, the 2nd level will offer facilities never before available on the Lawrence campus. Among these new spaces are a cinema; a multi-purpose entertainment, performance, and meeting venue; and a post office where the students will come for their mail and be able to pick up and send packages.

The multi-purpose venue will be divisible for staging performances, holding meetings, and having presentations or dances. This area will include a sprung floor (a healthy alternative to a concrete slab), and also a green room to facilitate costume changes while also providing a resting spot for performers. A convenience store of 1,000 square feet , a big improvement over our present “postage stamp”-sized Union Station , will offer self-serve hot and cold foods, snacks, and basic grocery needs. The cinema, seating about 150 people, will also accommodate small recitals and multi-media performances .

Dining Area (1st level)

Dining services at Lawrence will be taking a quantum leap forward in the campus center because of the new kitchen, administrative offices, dining rooms, and servery to be located there. The student dining room will overlook the Fox River and take advantage the views provided by the wooded hillside and the great river expanse. The servery, which will feature extended hours of operation, will include display cooking including a variety of ethnic foods. There will be a broad selection of food choices with separate stations for desserts, sandwiches, comfort foods, and salads. The kitchen (shared in part with catering and the café) will use state-of-the-art technology and equipment for food preparation. The new kitchen and dining facilities will allow campus dining services to be centralized with expanded space for staff and for storage needs.