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kent state university ASHTABULA CAMPUS BOOKSTORE

This project relocated the campus Bookstore and Business Services Offi ces from the Main Hall Building into the renovated Technology Building. This adaptive re-use of the Engineering Technology Building built in the 1970's offered several challenges. The building was originally constructed with very limited natural light, and interior load-bearing partitions limited the configuration of the interior space. Although the building has been on campus since the 1970's, its limited use meant that many students never visited the site, or even noticed thatit existed. This project was a direct result of the master plan created in 2008 by Payto Architects. Moving the popular Bookstore to the Technology Building draws students out of the Main Hall, and helps the campus realize its goal of creating active campus landscape, rather than containing all program in a single Main Hall. This also makes the Bookstore more visible and accessible to the public. The new Bookstore space is twice as large as its space in Main Hall, allowing for better display of items, and projected growth of the very successful enterprise. The new entry at the Northeast corner of the building provides natural light and visibility into the Bookstore as well as creating a new focal point for the building. The entry was such a great addition to the simple building that many students and visitors thought it was a new building rather than a renovation.

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