LEGACY
202
Forum’s Tezja Panzik designs an award-winning project in the heart of the University of Illinois’ Fraternity Row, repositioning an old frat house into a refreshed student living experience for fraternity brothers and the general student population.
Text/Layout BECKY TRYBUS CHID, EDAC, RID, IIDA
Congratulations on your award-winning project! Let’s dive right in.What inspired the aethetic direction at Legacy 202? The project location was a driving factor for the aesthetic. When thinking about the elements in the winter and the right flooring material, as well as bringing in the school’s blue hues, I wanted to make sure we had the right balance of contrasting elements - light to dark (dark floors with light wood tones) and warm to cool (blue and warm burgundy). Once I review all of that all of the designs and other finishes just kind of fall into place.
The six-story building sits on the original location of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity house and adds an additional 113 units and 272 beds to the campus. The fraternity now occupies a separate tenant space on the southwest corner of the building.
Left: The open flexible floor plan provides areas for students to study and gather.
Tezja Panzik Interiors Studio Director
Above: Communal space with a custom metal frame structure above the island provides visual interest amongst the classic and clean finishes.
Below Right: Fitness Below: Leasing Reception was designed to resemble a hotel concierge.
Were there any space planning challenges, and how did you address them? The amenity plan is only around 4500sf. When thinking about student living and some of the comps, we had a lot to pack in to make sure that operations had sufficient space while maximizing the amenity area for the students. The original floor plan had the leasing offices tucked in the back, away from the main entrance and there was conference room space floating in the middle. We were able to open up the space by relocating leasing near the entrance, incorporate a large study room space (conference room). The large builtin banquette provides ample space for students to study and gather. Open shelving was added above the banquette to create a corridor-like separation between the communal area and restrooms.
What trends are clients asking for in student housing design that you were able to incorporate into Legacy 202? Study spaces and flexible amenities. Although it’s important to offer a variation of study spaces, the liveliest (and most used) areas are always more open and offer flexibility to the users. Humans have an innate need for connection and true connection is rooted with personal interaction. Many students are away from home for the first time and as interior designers our job is to create spaces that foster this interaction to help students thrive.
Whether students are studying or gathering together, the various seating groups offer plenty of space for students to plug in, while the large study room and micro study room incorporates full storefront for students to be seen by their peers.
What are the most important criteria when selecting flooring? This varies from project to project however all have to perform so I would say durability and warranty.
Above: “The large study room features a wooden “I” wall. We wanted to create a warm, comfortable space. The “I”s puzzle together paying homage to the university while creating a balanced contrast”, say Tezja Panzik.
What are your favorite interior architectural details at Legacy 202? The shelving structure above the kitchen island and the wood grille system. We only had 11ft ceilings and 10ft high storefronts, so there wasn’t alot of opportunity to play with ceiling heights. When you walk in from the entrance you can see straight through the space, so it was important to incorporate texture on the ceiling with the wood grille to add warmth to the space that contrasted nicely with the dark floors. In addition, I didn’t want to have island pendants competing with the adjacent pendants at the banquette area, so we designed the metal structure above the island with an integrated light rail and it allowed us a focal point in the space and a variation in the ceililing plane.
Above: Lounge space is grand with an electrical fireplace and central to activity.
Far Right: Banquette with open shelving above provides a central space for students to study whil providing separation from the restrooms.
Right: A private micro study off the lounge provides a quiet spot to focus.
Are ther any interesting, nuanced aspects or elements of your project that are noteworthy? Due to the project location, the general contractor had contacts with Amish millworkers that were able to create the “I” wall in the large study room as well as the wood grille and shelving units. In my opinion, mill working is becoming a lost art, however at Legacy 202, the craftsmanship was amazing and I have so much appreciation for this trade.
237 S. Westmonte Drive, Suite 220 Altamonte Springs, FL 32714