On Sept. 15, Auburn University’s School of Hospitality Management held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of the Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center, a six-floor, 142,000-sf mixed-use building that includes a boutique hotel, culinary and commercial baking labs, a teaching restaurant, a spa, functioning rooftop garden, food hall, café, courtyard and concierge-style hotel suites.
Cooper Carry designed this project, which was built by Bailey-Harris Construction. The construction included mass timber components that were donated by Jimmy Rane, president and CEO of Great Southern Wood in Abbeville, Ala. (The building is named in honor of Rane’s parents.) The Center is part of Auburn’s College of Human Sciences, which offers students opportunities to train with leading chefs and hospitality experts. Ithaka Hospitality serves as the commercial operator in partnership with the College of Human Sciences.
“As a land-grant institution, our mission is to put practical knowledge into the hands of those who can use it, create economic opportunities, and improve the quality of our lives. I believe the Rane Culinary Science Center will do just that,” said Christopher B. Roberts, Auburn University’s president.
Click here for a virtual tour of the building.
The Center blends academic and revenue-generating elements. The building’s first floor focuses on culinary sciences. A fine-dining restaurant called 1856, and the food hall Hey Day Market, with nine vendor stalls, are on this floor, which also features a two-story wine room with an international stock.
One of the vendor stalls serves as an incubator where students can develop business concepts and even launch start-up operations.
The building’s second and third floors focus on beverage experiences, and include a wine appreciation learning center with 50 tasting tables, distilled beverages classroom, a brewing lab, expo kitchen, and collaborative spaces. The third floor has several adaptive learning classrooms and a culinary lab with AV equipment for honing students’ skills at photographing F&B creations to leverage social media.
On the top three floors, The Laurel Hotel & Spa offers 16 rooms, 10 suites, six residences, a spa, fitness studio, rooftop pool, and yoga pavilion. The hotel provides students with learning how to operate a hospitality facility. The 41,000-sf rooftop gardens were designed and are maintained by Auburn University’s College of Agriculture’s horticulture department.
In forming the design team, Cooper Carry drew upon the expertise of the firm’s Higher Education Studio, Hospitality Studio, The Johnson Studio, Retail Studio and Science + Technology Studio. Several Cooper Carry designers who are also Auburn University graduates worked on the project.
Related Stories
| May 20, 2013
Jones Lang LaSalle: All U.S. real estate sectors to post gains in 2013—even retail
With healthier job growth numbers and construction volumes at near-historic lows, real estate experts at Jones Lang LaSalle see a rosy year for U.S. commercial construction.
| 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 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 2, 2013
6 lobby design tips
If you do hotels, schools, student unions, office buildings, performing arts centers, transportation facilities, or any structure with a lobby, here are six principles from healthcare lobby design that make for happier users—and more satisfied owners.
| Mar 14, 2013
25 cities with the most Energy Star certified buildings
Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Chicago top EPA's list of the U.S. cities with the greatest number of Energy Star certified buildings in 2012.
Building Enclosure Systems | Mar 13, 2013
5 novel architectural applications for metal mesh screen systems
From folding façades to colorful LED displays, these fantastical projects show off the architectural possibilities of wire mesh and perforated metal panel technology.
| Feb 18, 2013
Top 10 kitchen and bath design trends for 2013
Gray color schemes and transitional styles are among the top trends identified by more than 300 kitchen and bath design experts surveyed by the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA).
