Oakland Center Expansion and Renovation

Oakland University’s Oakland Center serves as the “living room” of the campus, a hub for campus involvement and social engagement. The 60,000-square-foot addition and 10,000-square-foot renovation shifted student activity to the perimeter of the building while moving office spaces to the center of the building, making student life more visible from the outside.

A tiered floor plan with higher ceilings supports a more open atmosphere. Tiered seating created new spaces for study, leisure and meeting spaces. Visual connections were made between the basement and ground floor to reduce the sense of separation between areas for student organizations and the rest of the building. On the upper level, two new multipurpose areas were added for larger events.

The backhouse areas were upgraded to improve efficiency in the dining areas. The exterior now features a glass curtainwall that matches the look of other buildings on campus, and a new entry was added to the north side of the building to improve accessibility. Work was completed on a 16-month schedule while the Oakland Center remained fully operational.