Goody Clancy, a multi-disciplinary firm of architects, preservationists, planners and urban designers focused on the design of educational, civic, institutional and

Photo Copyright Abstract Photography, Inc.: Terry Wieckert

research facilities, recently celebrated the dedication of Griffin Hall Center for Informatics at Northern Kentucky University (NKU) in Highland Heights, Kentucky.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by NKU president, Dr. James C. Votruba; Interim Dean of the College of Informatics, Dr. Kevin G. Kirby; members of the project team, invited guests and the campus and community. The dedication ceremony kicked off a month-long series of conferences, exhibits and events that celebrate the intersection of learning, social media and the information economy. 

“Griffin Hall Center for Informatics is a tangible representation of the fast-moving nature of technology and its impact on learning and society,” said Dr. Votruba. “It will help us equip NKU graduates with a distinct advantage and market-ready skills in nearly every field of academic study.”

Informatics is the application of digital technology in a broad variety of fields and one of the fastest growing areas of inquiry in higher education. Griffin Hall is the new physical home of the College of Informatics and the centerpiece of Vision 2015, the northern Kentucky’s region’s 15-year strategic plan to bring together business and academia to strengthen the regional economy. 

The driving force of the program is the emerging integration of digital and information technology throughout the curriculum at NKU. Recognizing that business informatics and medical informatics are changing the very nature of human interaction, the program called for extracting traditional areas of study from their distinct academic “silos” and aggregating them in a central crossroads on campus.

Courtesy of Goody Clancy

The sustainable building solution, built for approximately $255 per square foot, features innovative materials and intelligent building systems (IBS) that align with the mission of integration and collaboration. The project was designed utilizing BIM (Building Information Modeling) across the entire team to represent the design and construction process in on-going and real-time three-dimensional representation.

“A sustainable building approach is part of NKU’s commitment to environmental stewardship,” said Rob Chandler, principal in charge of the project for Goody Clancy. “As architects and planners, we are committed to delivering highly responsive buildings with the very best tools and technologies available to us. NKU recognized that part of its ground-breaking approach to integrating information extended to the building itself. As a result, the building truly communicates with its systems and achieves higher efficiencies, lowers utility use, and reduces the University’s carbon footprint. ”

The George and Ellen Rieveschl Digitorium is the figural heart of Griffin Hall, comprising a two-story hall, embraced by the layered transparent skin of the Commons. The sweeping form acts as a forecourt to an L-shaped classroom and administrative wing. The Commons and the exterior of the Digitorium are illuminated by a dynamic assemblage of RGB LED lighting that is visible from the interior campus and west quad.  On the interior, the digitorium can be transformed into a reception space, high technology classroom, digital movie theater, recital hall, computer simulation center (for gaming, security, finances and other simulations), distance learning center, or a place for many other performance and teaching experiences. Eight “digital opera boxes” surrounding the central core also function as small breakout rooms. They feature computational equipment that allows for active, simultaneous engagement with building events and simultaneous display from all eight opera boxes on the 13’ x 25’ microtile wall.

“Informatics touches all of the ways we interact today and we have only scratched the surface of what is possible in bringing together so many areas of study into a common endeavor,” said Robert L. Knarr, Associate Director of NKU Architecture and Construction Services. “In a few years, the ideas that are being incubated in Griffin Hall may change the way we look at education and enterprise. At its heart, this is what innovation is all about.”

The project team includes: Goody Clancy (Design Architect and Architect of Record) led by principal Rob Chandler, AIA, LEED and project manager Ray Urban, AIA, LEED; McGill Smith Punshon Inc. (Associate Architect and Civil Engineer); Turner Construction (General Contractor); KLH Engineers (Plumbing, Fire Protection and IT Engineer); Richmond So Engineers, Inc. (Structural Engineer); Cosentini Associates LLP (HVAC and Electrical Engineer); Vivian Llambi & Associates (Landscape Architect); Theatre Projects Consultants (Theatre/Performing Arts Consultant); Acentech (AV/Acoustical Consultant); and Vermeulens Cost Consultants (Cost Consultant).

 For more information, please visit www.goodyclancy.com or www.nku.edu.