St. Paul, MN

The Ben Pomeroy Student-Alumni Learning Center provides the College of Veterinary Medicine with a state-of-the-art learning facility by adaptively reusing the 1907 Dairy Cattle Barn on the St. Paul campus. When the State Designer Selection Board and the University chose Miller Dunwiddie to complete design and construction services for the building, we enthusiastically undertook the challenges posed by this beautiful and historic structure. The exterior restoration faithfully recalls the building's 1907 appearance using modern systems and durable materials. The adaptive interior design includes two classrooms that can be combined in to a larger conference space, flexible small seminar/breakout classrooms, administrative office space for Academic and Student Services and Continuing Education staff, a student lounge, and a commons/concession area that has become a campus destination. Creating this modern learning environment required both flexibility and creativity.

In making this project a success, our past experience at this building proved a valuable asset. In 1996 we provided design and construction services to "mothball" the barn and remove non-historic additions. In 2003, we began working with the College of Veterinary Medicine on a study to adaptively reuse the barn. This solid understanding of the building helped us rehabilitate the building while providing functional spaces students and alumni will use for years to come.