gaming space - interior design
designing an immersive community space for a college gaming club
Dordt University is a private evangelical Christian university in Sioux Center, Iowa, founded in 1955. The Gaming Guild is a club on campus that strives to build community and provide opportunities for education and leadership. The Gaming Guild gives students who are passionate about gaming the opportunity to explore the link between faith and gaming, while providing a community for gamers who are committed followers of Jesus. The goal is to help gamers connect with each other, think more broadly about their calling as gamers, and develop their own gaming-related gifts to serve God’s kingdom. In addition, Dordt is exploring the possibility of adding a Gaming & Faith program to their academic catalog in the future. Dordt is one of the only Christian universities currently seeing growth in their enrollment numbers, so as Dordt and the Gaming Guild continue to grow, they are looking for opportunities to bring even more functionality and creativity to their spaces.
Brad Hickey, the Gaming Guild's Director, reached out to me to redesign their current Gaming Guild space as well as provide interior design and spatial branding for 2 future expansion rooms. The Gaming Guild currently meets in the basement of a residence hall on campus. The space has an industrial feel with concrete and CMU walls and houses a lot of utility equipment for the entire building that need to be protected. Additional student study space and classroom space for the entire campus is in high demand, so we began to think creatively about how building a story and theme that engage imaginations and invite community.
Brad Hickey, the Gaming Guild's Director, reached out to me to redesign their current Gaming Guild space as well as provide interior design and spatial branding for 2 future expansion rooms. The Gaming Guild currently meets in the basement of a residence hall on campus. The space has an industrial feel with concrete and CMU walls and houses a lot of utility equipment for the entire building that need to be protected. Additional student study space and classroom space for the entire campus is in high demand, so we began to think creatively about how building a story and theme that engage imaginations and invite community.
THE PROCESS
The initial goals for this project kickoff were to understand their demographic, the current use of the space, what they dream for the future, and any pain points they're experiencing. The first steps were a discovery sessions, story development (directed by Zach Miller of Storyland Studios), spatial programing discussions and a 360 degree photo scan of the entire space. Once we nailed down the conceptual direction, I developed a Mood Board and Sketches, which the client was able to provide great collaboration and feedback on.
THE GOALS
I collaborated with Dordt University leadership to develop the following goals that would serve as a guidepost for the entire project.
• A welcoming lair for students to be themselves, share adventures & make connections.
• An immersive space that allows students to connect with a nostalgic sense of play.
• A fun environment for building community around nerd culture, play, & gaming.
• Seek opportunities for students & leaders to collaborate in bringing the vision to life through their creativity.
• A welcoming lair for students to be themselves, share adventures & make connections.
• An immersive space that allows students to connect with a nostalgic sense of play.
• A fun environment for building community around nerd culture, play, & gaming.
• Seek opportunities for students & leaders to collaborate in bringing the vision to life through their creativity.
THE FINAL DESIGN
The concept for the final design is driven by an immersive and layered story. The spatial design centers around a forgotten and overgrown industrial foundry that has been reclaimed by a guild of artisans ready to cultivate the overgrowth and repurpose the neobrutalist shell into a thriving gathering space. The design features a unique and storied juxtaposition of historic layers. Layers of neon, crawling vines, and industrial found objects sit atop cracked concrete and brick with exposed rusted rebar wand painted distressed foundry logos.
Cracked concrete with exposed rebar, Industrial remnants found objects, control panels, an industrial mill turned ecclectic tavern, with layers of neon and greenery rusted, stenciled foundry logo, rebar crawling vines
Cracked concrete with exposed rebar, Industrial remnants found objects, control panels, an industrial mill turned ecclectic tavern, with layers of neon and greenery rusted, stenciled foundry logo, rebar crawling vines
BEFORE
AFTER
The Common Space is the main hub for the Gaming Guild's pizza nights and events. It hosts a number of console gaming areas in addition to a variety of seating for study space, board games, and hanging out. It was important to be authentic to the industrial feel of the space with its existing concrete walls and fenced-in utility equipment. Industrial remnants like yellow caution lines, rusted surfaces, and a crucible fountain sit next to elements of growth and advancement like the moss wall, hanging planters, and neon lights. The mix of neobrutalist elements with biophilic touches creates an immersive and memorable environment. The warm and industrial Edison light fixtures paired with the modern aesthetic of the LED neon lights creates a cozy yet edgy vibe for this young adult hang out space.
BEFORE
AFTER
This role-playing games room is a much loved space for the gaming guild. The stories and experiences created through role-playing games have a special place in the hearts of the students and leaders. We wanted it to feel tucked-away and slightly secret. We designed this room to be an industrial mill transformed into an eclectic speak-easy with a coded control-panel door. Remnants of plaster and brick with worn mill windows (TV frames) and classic finishes create a tavern-vibe with warm industrial furniture and lighting. The focal point of the room is a cracked concrete and exposed metal bar with a distressed foundry logo, sitting below a metal catwalk ceiling.
BEFORE
AFTER
Dordt University leaders were very excited about the potential to expand the usable space of this basement to include a large study space and classroom. The unconventional conditions of the basement called for some creative problem-solving. Again pairing neobrutalist elements with biophilic design, this study space propagates as a concrete garden for gathering, studying, and focussing. Bringing together industrial furniture, greenery, and warm lighting creates an interesting and inviting third place for students
