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
| Jun 5, 2013
USGBC: Free LEED certification for projects in new markets
In an effort to accelerate sustainable development around the world, the U.S. Green Building Council is offering free LEED certification to the first projects to certify in the 112 countries where LEED has yet to take root.
| Jun 3, 2013
Construction spending inches upward in April
The U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced today that construction spending during April 2013 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $860.8 billion, 0.4 percent above the revised March estimate of $857.7 billion.
| May 21, 2013
7 tile trends for 2013: Touch-sensitive glazes, metallic tones among top styles
Tile of Spain consultant and ceramic tile expert Ryan Fasan presented his "What's Trending in Tile" roundup at the Coverings 2013 show in Atlanta earlier this month. Here's an overview of Fasan's emerging tile trends for 2013.
| May 17, 2013
University labs double as K-12 learning environments
Increasingly, college and university research buildings are doing double duty as homes for K-12 STEM programs. Here’s how to create facilities that captivate budding scientists while keeping faculty happy.
| May 2, 2013
First look: UC-Davis art museum by SO-IL and Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
The University of California, Davis has selected emerging New York-based practice SO-IL to design a new campus’ art museum, which is envisioned to be a “regional center of experimentation, participation and learning.”
| May 2, 2013
Holl-designed Campbell Sports Center completed at Columbia
Steven Holl Architects celebrates the completion of the Campbell Sports Center, Columbia University’s new training and teaching facility.
| Apr 30, 2013
Tips for designing with fire rated glass - AIA/CES course
Kate Steel of Steel Consulting Services offers tips and advice for choosing the correct code-compliant glazing product for every fire-rated application. This BD+C University class is worth 1.0 AIA LU/HSW.
| Apr 30, 2013
First look: North America's tallest wooden building
The Wood Innovation Design Center (WIDC), Prince George, British Columbia, will exhibit wood as a sustainable building material widely availablearound the globe, and aims to improve the local lumber economy while standing as a testament to new construction possibilities.
| Apr 24, 2013
Los Angeles may add cool roofs to its building code
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa wants cool roofs added to the city’s building code. He is also asking the Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to create incentives that make it financially attractive for homeowners to install cool roofs.
| Apr 22, 2013
Top 10 green building projects for 2013 [slideshow]
The AIA's Committee on the Environment selected its top ten examples of sustainable architecture and green design solutions that protect and enhance the environment.
