Under a New Wing

Written by Sarah Neese, Photos by KT King

During the past 50 years, nearly every Central student has walked through the doors of UCO’s Liberal Arts building. Each new generation of students excitedly begins their college career – often their first class – at one of its many desks. However, this year, Central’s newest class of students walked through a new set of doors.

FALL 2019 MARKS THE FIRST SEMESTER OF USE FOR THE CAMPUS’ newest building, the Liberal Arts South Wing, a 55,000-square-foot adjoining addition to the original Liberal Arts structure. The South Wing incorporates 15 new classrooms, 30 faculty and staff offices and several new student-centered spaces, all of which provide opportunities for both traditional and transformative learning.

While its doors opened this fall, the South Wing began as an idea in 2015. After identifying the growing needs of its facilities, the UCO College of Liberal Arts recognized that expanding one of the university’s busiest buildings was a necessity.

“The impetus for the South Wing was actually a need to remodel the Pegasus Theatre, [the building’s original lecture and performance hall], which was not [Americans with Disabilities Act]-compliant and had been long-awaiting a makeover,” said College of Liberal Arts Dean Catherine Webster, Ph.D. “At the same time, the college had a need for about 30 offices to allow our full-time faculty to enjoy private spaces, and the traffic in the Liberal Arts building meant that we were far exceeding the space utilization recommended by the Regents.”

Creating a more efficient and up-to-date use of space was imperative, but the key priority for all involved, including the architectural team at Beck Design, was clear: Central’s students.

“Students were consulted throughout the process,” Webster said. “Beck Design did some surveys and on-site consulting with students, and members of the College Student Advisory Board talked through their ideas for the atrium space, study areas and café.”

Additionally, students offered input in decision-making for the building’s finishing touches, including carpet, tile, wall coverings, accent colors and textures. Every step of the process encompassed capturing and enhancing the student experience.

Those who walk into the building’s atrium are greeted with wide open space and high ceilings, filled with natural light and an inherent brightness. On either side of the atrium sit Pegasus Café, offering students coffee, drinks and snacks between classes, and the wing’s new lecture hall.

The hall will host student events, public lectures, film screenings and other campus happenings. The new hall also serves as a storm shelter, in the event of severe weather. An upgrade from its predecessor, the lecture hall feels airy and welcoming for all who enter, regardless of mobility, and could quickly become a favorite gathering space among many Liberal Arts patrons.

“It’s a brilliant successor to the original theatre, and I’m convinced it will accommodate the needs of the college and contribute to the university for many years to come,” Webster said.

According to her, each of the addition’s 15 new classroom spaces, which include four computer labs, were all designed to be comfortable and flexible, with transformative teaching and learning in mind.

In fact, comfort and flexibility are themes that run throughout the building. Beyond the café and lecture hall, the atrium gives way to multiple lounge areas and a new study stair – a space specifically designed for students to study, gather and interact.

“The public spaces of the South Wing are all designed to be inviting to students to relax, charge their devices and enjoy the Liberal Arts community,” Webster said. “Rather than rushing onto campus, grabbing a snack or drink from a vending machine and hurrying on to class, the atrium welcomes students to enjoy some unstructured down time, perhaps to review notes, study with a classmate over a decent cup of coffee or connect with a faculty member in an informal setting.”

While the Liberal Arts building, imbued with decades of student experience, still stands, it now serves as a bridge to new student experiences within the walls of its sister structure. With this new structure, the college looks toward the next 50 years of student learning and takes many new generations of students under its wing.

All of the spaces in the new South Wing, including the lecture hall, student café and its many classrooms, were designed with a wide-open, student-centric layout.

The South Wing atrium presents a bright welcome to students and visitors entering the addition. Just past the new lecture hall, the stairs lead to various offices and classrooms, doubling as a study stair area for students to gather.