Kettering University Opens Learning Commons

Kettering University opened the $63 million Learning Commons in September of 2022 in Flint, Mich. Designed by Stantec as a vibrant nexus of interaction and discovery, the 105,000-sf facility provides a digital library, a 15,000-sf maker space, and a 200-seat auditorium with advanced audiovisual capabilities. Connected to the existing Campus Center, the four-story structure features a soaring atrium topped by a skylight that fills the entire interior space with natural light. Unique settings for gathering, dining, and collaboration spill out from the atrium on the first and second floors, while levels three and four house research environments, media resource centers, student support functions, and areas for individual and group project work. An adjoining glass-enclosed tunnel doubles as an art gallery and another building entrance.  

Offering wide-open spaces with unobstructed sightlines, the Learning Commons provides myriad writable surfaces and power points to foster knowledge exchange throughout the technology-enabled facility. Stairways to each floor are not stacked, forcing people to travel laterally before they can move vertically to promote circulation and social cohesion. Flexible infrastructure ensures that the transformative development can change and expand in the decades to come. Clark Construction Group broke ground on the project in February of 2020.