Illinois Wesleyan University, Welcome Center

Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Wesleyan University originally intended to renovate an existing building on campus to create a new Welcome Center.  After various alternatives were explored, it became clear that new construction would be a far better alternative to renovating the existing structure.  Because the Center is one of the first facilities that prospective students and families see, the University wanted that initial interaction to reflect the quality that permeates the institution.

CSO Schenkel Schultz developed plans for the new two-story, 19,000-square-foot building, which house the Office of Admissions and the Hart Career Center.  The building was named in honor of the late Illinois Wesleyan president, Minor Myers Jr., who died in 2003.

The Office of Admissions occupies the first floor of the building, which features offices for admissions officers as well as a spacious waiting room and a 75-seat auditorium for group presentations.  The Career Center is on the second floor with offices, resource center, and conference rooms where employers can hold interviews with students.  A lower level is used for administrative support, work areas, and storage.  The exterior of the building was designed to complement existing architecture on the campus and fit seamlessly into the campus aesthetic. 

One special point of pride is that the Welcome Center was designed to be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified as a Green Building, via incorporation of ground-source heat pumps with geothermal exchange at horizontal trenches.  Henneman Engineering provided all mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection engineering design services for the facility.