Education from the ground up

Western Michigan University - School of Education

Although the university originally intended to renovate the existing Sangren Hall, Western Michigan University officials quickly recognized that the building’s constraints wouldn’t allow for their intended project outcomes. The alternative, a new building, delivers 30 percent more seats than the former facility and carries on the original Sangren Hall’s legacy as one of the university’s most heavily utilized classroom buildings.

The building was designed to meet the needs of 21st century students while also accommodating a wide variety of learning styles. For this reason, a variety of spaces—from small classrooms to large auditoriums to breakout areas—were incorporated throughout the building. Specialized rooms for Education instruction, such as model K-12 classrooms with attached observation areas, were incorporated to meet the needs of students in the College of Education.

As part of the Student Success Center at Sangren Hall, the design included student services such as admissions, advising, field office placements, teacher certification assistance, dining areas, an education library, and information commons.