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When Michael Konopacke, Vice President of Admissions for Baker College of Owosso, Michigan saw how the campus’s new Welcome and Administrative Center turned out, he couldn’t have been more pleased. "The space is a perfect reflection of what Baker College stands for," Konopacke says. "It fully represents our active commitment to students and the community and provides a beautiful introduction to both the campus and the City of Owosso."

 

Baker
College


Design Challenge
The idea of a welcome center began almost three years ago. Administrators envisioned an inviting, professional space that exemplified Baker College’s stature as the largest independent college in Michigan. In 2004, following steady enrollment growth and increasing demand for office and event space, plans for the facility began to take shape in earnest.

"One of our goals was to establish a warm and inviting place for students coming to the campus for the first time.We also needed larger offices for our space-squeezed admissions and career services staff, a conference center large enough to accommodate the needs of our local businesses, a boardroom for the Regents, and the necessary technology to support these functions," notes Konopacke.

The United Interiors Solution
To balance the college’s aesthetic and functional needs for the 24,000 sq. ft. center, interior designer Amy Baranowski drew on a broad portfolio of United Interiors products.


 
     
     
   

"The project team wanted the interior to be classic and timeless, but with a contemporary appeal," Ms. Baranowski explains. "We chose United Interiors furnishings for the clean, tailored lines. A natural maple finish coupled with glass and metal details and a color palette of sophisticated neutrals contributed the modern feel we desired."

At the entrance, a Cetra reception station and matching maple tiles on the back wall create a visually inspiring first impression. Delano lounge seating with tablet arms offer spots to relax and interact.

Picking up the warm wood tones of the reception area, the VP and staff offices feature Change and Definition casegoods with P-shaped worksurfaces to support in-office conferencing between students and staff.

In the boardroom, Baranowski and Konopacke wanted to introduce the Baker College logo to help define the space, but didn’t want the graphic to be overwhelming. Their solution was to embroider it into the headrest on the Stature chairs. A custom 22-foot table with retractable power/data modules on each end and an Evoke work wall complete the setting.

Other design decisions included utilizing Traxx presentation tools and Array tables in the training room, Fundamental files and storage cabinets with Footprint surfaces in the workroom, and Interworks carrels in the testing area.Wireless technology and ceiling-mounted projectors and screens add to the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the facility.

"The response from the entire campus and our local community has been overwhelmingly positive," notes Konopacke. "It’s extremely gratifying for the College to know that we’ve been able to impact so many people in so many ways."

Product specifications: Cetra®, Interworks® and Traxx® systems; Change®, Definition® and Evoke® casegoods; Footprint® worksurfaces and storage; Bingo®, Delano™, Event™, Skye®, Stature®, VistaTM and WishTM seating; Array® and Conferencing Solutions tables; Kimball by Design boardroom table; and Fundamental® files and storage cabinets.

Project team: Michael Konopacke, Lisa Lynch, Baker College; Amy Baranowski, Interior Design Source; Jeff Elkins,William Jennings, Jill Bemis, American Interiors.

 
 
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