Bergmeyer Designs New McGauvran Center at UMass Lowell

Bergmeyer is repurposing a 40-year-old concrete and brick student center as a new dining and learning commons at UMass Lowell’s South Campus. The renovated building, centered on the campus quad, is expected to become a major attraction for students to dine and gather on campus. The redesigned building will add over 10,000 sf to the existing 42,000 sf of new space and will offer multiple dining options, a learning commons, and collaborative classrooms.

Two entries facing the quad with large areas of glass will welcome students, faculty, and visitors, who will see three levels of activity connected by atriums and a wide central staircase. Each floor will serve different purposes and audiences.

The first floor will feature a something-for-everyone dining option with an all-you-care-to-eat approach that will primarily serve students who live on campus. The second floor will cater to commuter students, faculty, staff, and visitors with a retail dining program featuring such well-known quick-serve brands as Subway and Freshii, a Canadian chain focused on fresh, nutritious meal choices. In addition there will be a grille, bakery, branded prepared foods, and a well-stocked market. On the third floor, an atrium stair will rise to provide additional seating options, a welcome center, and an interesting mix of study lounges, meeting rooms, and learning spaces.

McGauvran Center has a total budget of $34 million and is slated to open in January 2016. This is the third large-scale dining commons Bergmeyer has designed for the University of Massachusetts system, the previous projects being Hampshire Dining Commons at UMass Amherst and University Dining Commons at Fox Hall on UMass Lowell’s East Campus.