Beakers and Wedding Bells

NSBwed1bWhen Omni’s staff begins their design process for a new project, they go to great lengths to program the building to accommodate all user groups and anticipated dfunctions, but sometimes our buildings are used in delightful and unexpected ways.
When Omni’s staff begins their design process for a new project, they go to great lengths to program the building to accommodate all user groups and anticipated functions, but sometimes our buildings are used in delightful and unexpected ways. At Eastern Kentucky University, the New Science Building was designed with the obvious classrooms and laboratories for the various branches of Science that are taught in the building, but it was also designed with features we humans crave on a basic level: exposure to daylighting and views; large, open areas with comfortable seating to provide opportunities for students and faculty to study, collaborate, and socialize; and there are moments inside and outside the building for hands-on teaching and learning. Since the completion of Phase 1, the building has been praised by faculty and staff for its contributions to improved outcomes and an increase in Science majors, but most recently it played a major role in a milestone of another type: a wedding.

The bride, Dr. Judy Jenkins, is the Assistant Professor of Chemistry at EKU. She credited building features such as natural light and open space as compelling factors in her decision to hold her wedding in the building's atrium. "I moved to Kentucky from Tucson, Arizona, so I really crave the sunlight!”, she said.

Click here for more photos and an in-depth interview with Dr. Jenkins.