Sandi Simon Center for Dance at Chapman University – Merit Award

2023 DESIGN AWARD RECIPIENT

Sandi Simon Center for Dance at Chapman University – Merit Award

The Sandi Simon Center for Dance is an expansive new education and performing arts center at Chapman University that redefines a former orange packing house. Landmarked by the National Register of Historic Places, LOHA’s adaptive reuse strategy preserves the exterior identity while opening the interior structure with a calculated cut through the original floor that allows for a reorganization into three levels and forms a new circulation through the space.

The Dance Center houses five studios for dance instruction, a performance studio that provides space for small concerts and master classes, two classrooms, a training room, and faculty offices. It addresses not only the studio and classroom needs of the dance program, but also provides spaces for students to socially engage.

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Thoughtful repurposing of an existing structure introduces new architectural elements that completely redefine the character of the building. It takes risks, breathing more life into the building.

Noteworthy performance features include:

1. Adaptive reuse, including reuse of the historical structure and shell.

2. Fitwel Certified

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Measure 1: Design for Integration

The Sandi Simon Center for Dance is a vital step for Chapman University’s growing campus. It creates a dynamic relationship to the latest student housing, the K Residence, with which it shares a public courtyard. It also serves as the strategic anchor for future programing and development of spaces to its east and west, within the same architectural shell, such that its outward-facing lobby will ultimately become an active interdisciplinary gathering place. Further, the SSCD plan accommodates a generous connection to the future development of the rest of the former orange packing complex to its north.

The many stakeholder meetings during the process included students, production technicians, the departmental chair and professors, the dean of the College of Performing Arts, and the university architect to ensure that the design speaks to the multitude of functions and opportunities it will provide for the university community—from the students to the university president. The Sandi Simon Center for Dance places the nationally ranked dance program at the center of an expanding masterplan, which connects departments and student life, within the shell of the former orange packing plant while connecting it to the City of Orange’s history and architecture.

Measure 2: Design for Equitable Communities

The adaptive reuse strategy opens the original floor to create a three-story space, accommodating programs with large spatial requirements in addition to more intimate areas for teaching and gathering. The layout of the mezzanine classrooms and meeting areas are aligned with the truss layout, maintaining the experience of the historic sawtooth roof. Positioned under the original exterior walkway, the main entrance presents the experience of compression and reveal as students, teachers, and visitors enter the central atrium, creating an awe-inspiring encounter.

Measure 3: Design for Ecosystems

The project is a TI of a historic warehouse, so Landscape is not a part of the project scope.

Measure 4: Design for Water

The project is a TI of a historic warehouse, so Landscape and stormwater management are not a part of the overall project scope.

Measure 5: Design for Economy

The Dance Center is situated within the historic shell of a former orange packing house. Through utilizing the existing structure, both historic elements and economic measures were able to be addressed. The main dance studio can also be used as a performance theater, and it is equipped with retractable seating. On the mezzanine, glass walled classrooms can open and expand to be adaptable with the space needed. Additionally, the dance studios are adaptable to other uses such as yoga workshops, fitness instruction, or meeting spaces for organizing student activities.

Measure 6: Design for Energy

The energy standards for this project were prescriptive by code.

Measure 7: Design for Well-Being

Prioritizing student experience and support, this project features a student mezzanine with a long, shared bar table, a quiet room with acoustical baffling and double curtain surrounds for solo concentrated work and small collaborations, and bench seating with stepped amphi-bench for social break out spaces along the central gallery. Windows between classrooms, dance studios, and the mezzanine allow for visual connections to be made throughout the Dance Center. The enrichment of the experience also includes Escalette Art Collection pieces installed and inspired by ideas of movement, porch with rocking chairs, and courtyard enhancements for study and socializing.

Measure 8: Design for Resources

The adaptive reuse strategy opens the original floor to create a three-story space, accommodating programs with large spatial requirements in addition to more intimate areas for teaching and gathering. The layout of the mezzanine classrooms and meeting areas are aligned with the truss layout, maintaining the experience of the historic sawtooth roof. Positioned under the original exterior walkway, the main entrance presents the experience of compression and reveal as students, teachers, and visitors enter the central atrium, creating an awe-inspiring encounter.

Measure 9: Design for Change

Opened in early 2023, just in time for the start to the spring semester, the Sandi Simon Center for Dance sits at the intersection of Chapman University’s Cypress Street Arts Corridor and the newly conceived Philosopher’s Walk. This thoughtful and strategic addition to campus bolsters the K-Residence Hall Courtyard, encourages social engagement, and enhances the student experience by connecting them directly to the outdoor public space. The Center for Dance not only complements the latest developments in student accommodations, but it also strategically leaves space for future development within the existing shell of the historic building.

Measure 10: Design for Discovery

The design strategy of opening the former floor of the 1918 orange packing building allows light to permeate from the historic sawtooth roof—with its north-facing clerestory windows–to all levels of the Dance Center. This innovative strategy preserves the exterior identity of the culturally and historically significant shell, while amplifying the beautiful features of the interior. The three levels allow for student performances, studios, classrooms, and study spaces within the vibrant circulation and encourages interactions and conversations to spill out of the studios into the atrium between classes, into the courtyard for warm up, yoga, and social space.