Kent State University Innovation Zone and Dining Rehabilitation Awarded to Gilbane

Gilbane and Kent State University have been partnering to transform the Kent, Ohio campus for over 14 years. Building upon the recent success of the College of Architecture and Environmental Design, Gilbane has been awarded the Innovation Zone and Dining Rehabilitation project.

This prominent 64,000 SF project will begin with stripping down the existing, unoccupied Art Building to the original steel structure, installing a new building envelope and an entirely new interior and infrastructure.

The building will house the new, state-of-the-art Innovation Zone and Dining Center. Focused on the principles of “design thinking” methodology, this new facility will encourage entrepreneurship across multiple academic disciplines and include advanced collaborative workspaces and makerspaces. In addition, the building will include a large dining venue seating approximately 350 people. The overall intent of the new building is to foster collaboration and social interactions to spark creative thinking.