Harcum College
Client Goal: Vibrant space that creates a sense of community
Harcum College | Bryn Mawr, PA
Harcum College is a private, nonprofit, two-year residential college. The school offers associate's degrees in arts and sciences, with a focus on allied health sciences, business and design.
The existing Student Success Center (SSC) was sparse and underused. Harcum's goal when redesigning the SSC was to make the space welcoming and inspiring. Harcum worked very closely with Herman Miller and Premier to test new design approaches and application. There was a "Learning Spaces Casting Workshop" that took place and involved members of all parties involved. This workshop included 16 members of Harcum's faculty, staff and student body. The purpose of the workshop was to gather valuable information that will help push the envelope and test new design approaches and applications. This information was used to redesign the learning space to better suit the needs of faculty, staff and students. Premier and Herman Miller were able to create a dynamic, innovative space that improves the experience for all who enter the SSC.
The redesigned SSC offers a variety of settings and furniture to support a variety of activities. Pops of colors along with material and textural variation create a vibrant space. Students can comfortably study, socialize or relax in different groupings of lounge seating. The furniture offers postural variation and choice, from standing-height surfaces with stools to seated-height tables and soft seating. Clusters of tables and chairs can be separated by mobile marker boards to divide space, add a level of visual privacy and provide writable surfaces. The new SSC truly is a place that draws students in and makes them feel like a part of a community. Everyone in the space - staff and students - are inspired to do great things.
