With plans beginning in 2008, University of Wyoming (UW) set out to build an extraordinary welcome center (perhaps unique in the country), which embodied, in every detail, the UW brand. As the first point of contact, planners envisioned a "wow factor" that would awe everyone – from visitors, students, families, supporters, and the community alike. Completed in late 2014, the Gateway Center certainly delivers a stunning and consistent experience, from the fundamental architectural elements to the finest details woven throughout.
The state-of-the art Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center successfully fuses the university’s time-honored brand qualities with a leading-edge technological infrastructure. Designed by Pappas & Pappas Architects and DLR Group, the center combines the traditional with the contemporary and provides a spectacularly visual venue, which incorporates welcome areas, offices, ballrooms, conference rooms, exhibits, and more.
The center gracefully blends historical elements with high-tech tools in a true melding of the traditional and contemporary. Visitors experience the region’s culture through artistic displays, including the 20-foot bronze statue of Steamboat (Wyoming’s iconic bucking horse) and a robust heritage center; at the same time, guests enjoy the dramatic three-story atrium, dynamic displays, free Wi-Fi, and a 30-screen digital wall, as well as many other interactive features.
Before these finer details took shape, the building’s exterior needed to provide the impact UW envisioned – the ‘wow factor’. As the front door of the university, two vital requirements challenged the center’s designers: incorporating the historical sandstone as the primary building element and utilizing the UW brand colors in a visual and lasting way.
From 1886 through to the early 1970s, the university utilized the same sandstone quarried locally near Laramie, which became a signature look. When the quarry closed, a new natural stone supply was difficult to source, given inventory and color limitations. Fortunately, UW discovered that Arriscraft manufactures building stone which mimics natural sandstone in appearance and performance. Since 2003, Arriscraft has supplied a custom color blend as the signature sandstone for UW buildings.
Renaissance® Masonry Units in Garnet, Suede and Café colors (rocked finish).
Stone supplier, BrickStone Inc. and project leader Chet Lockard (of Project Guide Services) collaborated with UW to find not only a sandstone match, but also a palette that was a perfect representation of the UW brand. According to Mr. Lockard, “Only Arriscraft could dial in the color we needed. We wanted to create more excitement for the Gateway Center and they have a great range of standard colors, which also saved money on the project. The best thing about Arriscraft is that it’s no different than quarried stone, but it’s more [color] consistent.”
Careful to continue a very similar masonry pattern as existing buildings, Toby Marlatt, VP of Marketing and Communications at UW, helped create a 4” module pattern using Renaissance® Masonry Units in Garnet, Suede and Café colors in a rocked finish. The warm tan, red and brown tones combine to both brand the building and deliver the strong statement that the university was after.
The Renaissance® stone was continued throughout the interior of the Gateway Center, to maintain the rustic feel and provide the fundamental color palette for the interior design. In the interior atrium, ARRIS.stack thin stone covers the stunning 3-storey fireplace – a highly durable and impactful choice for this key visual feature.
Architect: Pappas & Pappas Architects and DLR Group
Interior Designers: R M Ruwart Design, Pear Workplace Solutions
General Contractor: Haselden Construction
Project Manager/Client Representative: Project Guide Services
Masonry Supplier: BrickStone Inc. (CO)
ABOUT ARRISCRAFT STONE
Arriscraft’s patented Natural Process technology uses only natural materials (plus certain colored pigments) and replicates how stone is created in the earth. This unique process creates masonry units, building stone and thin stone products with the aesthetics and durability of quarried stone, but in a manufactured format for standard installation and unlimited supply.
Renaissance® ARRIS.tile (thin stone) in 8” x 24” units, Suede color (smooth finish).
Renaissance® Masonry Units in Garnet, Suede and Café colors (rocked finish).
Renaissance® Masonry Units in Garnet, Suede and Café colors (rocked finish).
Custom color blend of Renaissance® Masonry Units on existing UW building. This image illustrates the "sandstone" match and custom blend developed for UW which has been the new standard stone since 2003.
Related Stories
| Oct 12, 2014
AIA 2030 commitment: Five years on, are we any closer to net-zero?
This year marks the fifth anniversary of the American Institute of Architects’ effort to have architecture firms voluntarily pledge net-zero energy design for all their buildings by 2030.
| Oct 10, 2014
A new memorial by Zaha Hadid in Cambodia departs from the expected
The project sees a departure from Hadid’s well-known use of concrete, fiberglass, and resin. Instead, the primary material will be timber, curved and symmetrical like the Angkor Wat and other Cambodian landmarks.
| Oct 9, 2014
Regulations, demand will accelerate revenue from zero energy buildings, according to study
A new study by Navigant Research projects that public- and private-sector efforts to lower the carbon footprint of new and renovated commercial and residential structures will boost the annual revenue generated by commercial and residential zero energy buildings over the next 20 years by 122.5%, to $1.4 trillion.
| Oct 9, 2014
Beyond the bench: Meet the modern laboratory facility
Like office workers escaping from the perceived confines of cubicles, today’s scientists have been freed from the trappings of the typical lab bench, writes Perkins+Will's Bill Harris.
| Sep 24, 2014
Architecture billings see continued strength, led by institutional sector
On the heels of recording its strongest pace of growth since 2007, there continues to be an increasing level of demand for design services signaled in the latest Architecture Billings Index.
| Sep 22, 2014
4 keys to effective post-occupancy evaluations
Perkins+Will's Janice Barnes covers the four steps that designers should take to create POEs that provide design direction and measure design effectiveness.
| Sep 22, 2014
Sound selections: 12 great choices for ceilings and acoustical walls
From metal mesh panels to concealed-suspension ceilings, here's our roundup of the latest acoustical ceiling and wall products.
| Sep 17, 2014
New hub on campus: Where learning is headed and what it means for the college campus
It seems that the most recent buildings to pop up on college campuses are trying to do more than just support academics. They are acting as hubs for all sorts of on-campus activities, writes Gensler's David Broz.
| Sep 9, 2014
Using Facebook to transform workplace design
As part of our ongoing studies of how building design influences human behavior in today’s social media-driven world, HOK’s workplace strategists had an idea: Leverage the power of social media to collect data about how people feel about their workplaces and the type of spaces they need to succeed.
| Sep 7, 2014
Ranked: Top state government sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
PCL Construction, Stantec, and AECOM head BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest state government design and construction firms, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.
