September 30, 2004
Award-winning Earhart Dining Court showcases upscale design
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University's Earhart Dining Court has won two awards for design, including an international design award from The Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI) and an outstanding project award from the American School and University Magazine.
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The Award for Excellence in Design was announced Sept. 11 in Toronto at the 2004 FCSI Annual Conference. Awards are presented annually to members in recognition of outstanding design projects completed within the previous two years. Awards are given in various categories and are judged by a panel.
The American School and University Magazine named Earhart Dining Court a winner in its Design Competitions Educational Interiors Showcase. Winning projects are published in its annual design issue. Information and photos also appear on its Web site.
Lafayette's Scholer Corp. was in charge of the architectural, mechanical and engineering design of the new dining court.
"The real challenge was that the existing building had limitations, and it was our job to make it as open as possible," said Steve Goffinet, principal architect with Scholer. "The new design is unique because dining and food preparation are in the same place, which creates a more enjoyable dining experience."
Ricca Newmark Design of Denver, Colo., designed the food service portion and interior design of the building. "The building is a total evolution from ‘'institutional' to 'restaurant' dining," said Tom Ricca, chairman of Ricca Newmark.
Sarah Johnson, director of dining services for University Residences, said the students have reacted favorably to the design.
"It's a large space, divided into smaller spaces, so it feels more manageable," Johnson said. "Diners find it easy to navigate whatever ambiance or seating options they prefer, from barstool seating to cozy seating to an area with a lively, high-energy ambiance."
The marketplace-style dining facility features accent colors in geometric shapes. Counters, cabinets and booths are made with maple, granite and stainless steel. Special lighting and a dimming system were installed to help create the ambiance of the various stations and seating areas.
Flooring and ceiling design defines seating arrangements. Dining areas are broken up into smaller areas, each with a change of furniture style, booth designs, accent light fixtures and colors. Private dining rooms can seat up to 100 people.
Earhart Dining Court is located on the west edge campus on First Street and is open to the public. The 39,100-gross-square-foot residence hall food service dining court can seat 720 diners. Eight food stations allow diners to choose from sandwiches, pizza, salads, waffles, and grilled and fried foods. A focal point is the Mongolian barbecue featuring a customized stir fry.
The upgraded dining facility, which opened April 2003, was a $7.8 million project. It is part of a six-year, $48 million food service plan, funded solely through savings and cost-efficiency measures. The original Earhart dining hall closed for renovations in May 2001.
In addition to Earhart, Purdue University Residences has based the newly remodeled Hillenbrand Dining Court and the new freestanding Stadium Avenue Dining Court on the same concept. Windsor and Wiley dining courts, which will be created as renovations in the existing buildings, are slated to open by 2005 and 2007, respectively.
"These dining services are so popular, it's not uncommon for Earhart, Hillenbrand and Stadium to serve 16,000 people in a day – 89 percent of our total," Johnson said. "Students come from all over campus to these new courts in appreciation of what we have to offer."
Writer: Maggie Morris, (765) 494-2432, news.writer@purdue.edu
Sources: Sarah Johnson, (765) 494-1000, scj@purdue.edu
Sholer Corp., (765) 474-1478, info@scholer.com
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
PHOTO CAPTION:
Purdue students can choose from eight stations at the award-winning Earhart Dining Court, including the Souper Deli. The upgraded dining facility recently won two awards for outstanding design. (Purdue News Service file photo/David Umberger)
A publication-quality file photo is available at https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/+2004/earhart-award.jpg
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