College of Charleston | Charleston, SC | Expected Completion Fall 2026

STERN STUDENT CENTER

Originally constructed in 1975 as a student center and natatorium, the structure that now houses the Stern Student Center was reimagined as a more contemporary center for campus life. Working within Charleston's highly regulated historic district, the project sought to preserve the value of the existing structure and it's four floors of occupied space while redefining its identity and purpose. 
The renovation stripped the building back to its concrete frame, and chose to expose much of it in the interior, to restore a sense of height and openness to spaces that previous users only knew to be dark and uninviting. 
New dining, assembly, fitness, multi-purpose, performance, administrative offices, and student leadership spaces have all been introduced with 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. 
The existing Stern Center received several iterations of renovations over the years which densified its floorplan and attempted to improve the entrance presence off the street, which always remained somewhat unobvious. The densification of the floorplan prevented natural light from permeating the building. To remediate, the arches were cut away from the structure to increase the size of its openings. Entrance sequence off the street was refined and highlighted with a simple corbelled light brick portal.