College of Charleston | Charleston, SC | Expected Completion Summer 2026
Stern STUDENT CENTER
Originally constructed in 1975 as a student center and natatorium, the building that now houses the Stern Student Center was reimagined as a contemporary center for campus life. Working within Charleston's highly regulated historic district and under purview of the Board of Architectural Review, the project sought to preserve the value of the existing structure and its 4 floors of programmed space while fundamentally redefining its identity and purpose.The 86,000SF renovation stripped the building back to its concrete frame, exposing both the opportunities and limitations of the existing structure. Rather than viewing these constraints as obstacles, the design leveraged them as a framework for transformation, introducing new dining, assembly, fitness, performance, and student leadership spaces within an entirely reconfigured interior.
A new exterior skin wraps the retained structure, balancing contemporary expression with contextual sensitivity. Improved thermal performance, enhanced daylighting, and a renewed street presence position the building for a new generation of students. Along George Street, a corbelled brick portal announces the primary entrance and creates a civic-scaled threshold that reconnects the building to campus and city alike.Project was completed by Little Diversified Architectural Consulting, as the architect of record, in collaboration with Workshop Architects, who largely focused on the interiors. While at Little, I worked extensively on the exterior design of this project from concept and visualization to detailing and execution. 
