New Campus Center Takes Shape in Leicester

About the Becker College Leicester Campus Center:

• A newly renovated main entrance, adjacent to the historic Samuel May House, Town Common, and the College’s Swan Library, will provide vehicular access to the building.
• The new 35,727-square-foot, two-story facility will be constructed primarily of red brick, architectural concrete, and glass. It will be linked into the second floor of the existing 15,000-square-foot Student Center by a glass bridge connector, suspended between the new structure and the existing student center by a neo-classical masonry tower.
• A welcoming interior “Main Street” will provide visitors with dynamic views of the 254-seat dining facility. A five-station food court will be open all day to meet the varied needs and schedules of our students.
• The new center will also include a café, multimedia lounge, and quiet study room space.
• The two-story, sun-drenched glass atrium will open to an outdoor student activity space below the Quad’s two majestic beech trees.
• A large, open-glass, stainless steel and porcelain stairway near the main entrance will welcome students to the second-floor game room, complete with pool and ping pong tables and several video game stations.
• A state-of-the-art fitness center will offer a wide range of fitness equipment, including treadmills, lifecycles, ellipticals, rowing machines, free weights, and nautilus equipment. Flat-screen televisions and a sound system will be strategically placed around the room.
• A glass-enclosed quiet study room with computers will provide students with an alternative to the library and computer labs.
• An aerobics room for dance, yoga, and Pilates will have a floating hardwood floor, mirrored walls, and a sound system.
• Student Activities and Student Government offices will be located in the building. There will also be a conference room.
• The new center will support the College’s extensive student services programs and serve as a central hub for the College community.
• The building design utilizes such “green design” elements as:
  - carpets, windows, and ceilings made from recycled material
  - cool flat roofs
  - high-efficiency HVAC
  - heat recovery systems
  - low water use plumbing fixtures
  - energy-saving LED lighting
  - energy-saving control systems
• The building was designed over the former paved tennis courts in an effort to maximize outdoor green space and preserve as many natural site amenities as possible.
• Parking capacity will increase by 25 spots.
• Open, outdoor space in front of the building will provide space for a wide range of social functions.
• There will be indoor and outdoor access from the dining area onto a patio and/or lawn area.