The University of Illinois at Springfield’s Student Union was recently awarded the Excellence in Design by the American Institute of Architect’s (AIA) Prairie Illinois Chapter. Completed in 2017, the team of Dewberry and Workshop Architects planned and designed the new student union.

The new union was designed to create a vibrant, social environment for students. Programmatic elements were overlapped and interwoven to serve a variety of different functions and create a continuous buzz of activity. The Student Leadership Center is located prominently at the front of the building and features flexible workspaces, meeting areas, and offices for student government and volunteer groups.

The union also features a ballroom and banquet facilities for use by both UIS students and the community. Multi-level student lounge areas weave throughout the building, incorporating a variety of scales and textures. The campus’s dining facilities were also moved into the new union, making it a central place for what has traditionally been a commuter campus.

Another component that creates a sense of community in the union is how the inside spaces spill out to a new “Student Life Plaza,” which frames the south end of the main campus quad. It’s a space in the union that creates opportunity for outdoor programming and large campus events.

The AIA Prairie Chapter’s design jury stated, “the project offers a modern, fresh, and spacious interactive space. The proposed program with flexible work spaces and overlapped activities seems very appropriate as a social catalyst for students on campus.”

The building was designed to LEED^® Gold guidelines, and features a 25,000-square-foot green roof, energy-efficient lighting, rainwater reclamation system, and radiant flooring in select areas.