Cleveland State University student center is a new remodeled facility featuring scrolling LED message boards, wireless inter-connectivity, digital displays and cable flat screen televisions. CSU’s intent is for the center to be a social and academic hub for all student organizations and activities as well as other local organizations in the area. Soaring windows provide panoramic views of the CSU campus and surrounding city. The student center, which took two years to complete, was “well worth the wait”, according to students.
Stone Panels was selected to complete the exterior and the multi-story atrium portion of the project with the assistance of Braun & Steidl Architects, Inc. of Akron, OH. StoneLite® made from flamed Virginia Mist granite is the featured stone. Virginia Mist granite is a domestic stone quarried out of North Carolina and is a variety of black granite. The flamed application is a rough, textured finish achieved by exposing the stone to intense heat and immediate cooling. When heated and cooled, the crystals in the stone pop. It also changes the coloration of the stone and in this case the stone transformed from black to a steel gray.
The building’s curved wall is a unique architectural feature. The curved movement was created by using smaller segmented StoneLite®. According to Sandara Emeric, associate dean of students, the center’s design was actually based on students’ suggestions, such as the need for a “flexible space to interact.”
A new or renovated building also has to blend seamlessly into the overall campus building-scape. The CSU student center building design and inclusion of StoneLite® achieved this goal. A college also has an obligation to use sustainable products and incorporate innovative technology and products. StoneLite® is the natural choice to meet these objectives.
