News

EwingCole, an award-winning architecture and engineering firm, in a joint venture with WTW Architects, has been selected by East Stroudsburg University (ESU) to design the new Keystone Commons building.

According to ESU’s 2010 Campus Facilities Master Plan, it was determined that the Center for Hospitality, the University Center, the Computing Center and the Kemp Library were inefficient buildings in need of extensive renovations to accommodate the needs of an increasing student population. In lieu of investing in these aging buildings, ESU determined it was more practical to bring these programs together in a new Keystone Commons.

“Trending on higher education campuses across the country is the design of facilities that collocate previously separated student activities,” said Chuck Rudalavage, AIA, LEED AP, principal of EwingCole’s Higher Education Practice. “The fusing of these four programs into a centrally-located Commons is a tremendous opportunity to change the face of student life on the Campus.”

In order to maintain continuous operations, the 269,000-square-foot Keystone Commons is being constructed in two phases. The first phase is approximately 162,000 square feet and expected to be complete by 2015. The building is being designed to achieve LEED Silver certification and will include digitally interactive spaces for group projects, an art gallery and the University's campus-wide data center.