Johnson County Community College
Press Release

College Information and Publications
913-469-8500
Julie Haas, Associate Vice President, Marketing Communications, ext. 3120
Peggy Graham, Writer, ext. 3425
Tyler Cundith, Sports Information Director, ext. 3122

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9/15/08
Story by Peggy Graham

The Regnier Center’s Cube with a nighttime projection and the Shull Foyer, photographed by JCCC photographer Bret Gustafson.

JCCC’s Regnier Center wins award for outstanding design

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The Regnier Center at Johnson County Community College, completed in July 2007, won an award for “outstanding design” in the American School & University’s “2008 Educational Interiors Showcase” competition.

The Regnier Center was entered in the “commons” category, and color photographs of the building and its common areas appeared in the August 2008 edition of the AS&U magazine featuring award-winning designs. The architecture firm for the Regnier Center was Gould Evans Associates, Kansas City, Mo., with David Reid as the principal architect for the project. Jerry Baird, executive vice president, Administrative Services, and Jim Freed, director of facilities planning, were the chief JCCC administrators.

“This is a first-class facility that supports education, business development and training, professional groups and community events,” Baird said. “We have received rave reviews from users about how comfortable and supportive the space is to educational and training goals.”

The 150,000-square-foot Regnier Center was one of 19 projects out of 109 entries to receive recognition of outstanding design.

“The project is a great success and the building has set a new standard of quality and design for JCCC facilities,” Freed said. “The architect was very sensitive to our faculty, staff and student needs and aspirations, and this award recognizes the immense satisfaction we have been hearing from users and visitors who experience it every day.”

In turn, Reid said, “The JCCC steering committee was instrumental in setting the tone for this project. Through our visioning and design workshops, we were able to translate the college's aspirations into physical solutions. The end result speaks specifically to the college's values that have established them as one of the country's leading community colleges. The Regnier family participated in the review process, as well, and were absolute champions for the state-of-the-art learning environments and qualitative aspects of the common spaces."

In his entry to the AS&U, Reid wrote:

Creating a high-tech collegiate learning facility devoid of ‘techy shtick’ requires a paradigm shift to ‘ambient technology.’ There are various cues throughout the Regnier Center that indicate how this human-centered building is very supportive of technology connectedness. Technology kiosks offer directional aids, schedules and course offerings. A wireless network offers coverage over the entire interior domain. A 24/7 open lab provides students access to higher bandwidths and specialty software not contained on their personal computing devices.

Yet the building also creates a timeless environment that inspires human imagination. Cognitive connections to the natural environment are established with expansive views and natural materials such as limestone, granite and wood. Daylight is harvested deep into the interiors, enriching the natural textures of these materials.

Preservation of social learning and social intelligence is at risk as technological communications overtake our lives. The common spaces feature furnishings, materials, daylight and view streams that encourage students to linger on campus. Circulation networks break the ‘autopilot’ routine leading people through a variety of learning neighborhoods to increase their social capital. Supporting the College’s mission to bring art to the people, the public spaces also support the college’s various collections of print works, photography, paintings and Native American artifacts. High ceilings, integrated track lighting, and neutral wall finishes make the public spaces even more desirable places to continue learning beyond traditional classroom instruction.

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