Shafer Court Dining Center
The new 57,000-SF dining facility for Virginia Commonwealth University is two stories high and based on a "marketplace-style" concept, with a “board-plan” main dining room, seating 850 students, and a retail “emporium” area that offers short-order and “grab-and-go” meals and snacks.
The building is located in the heart of the urban campus, at a crossroads of both residential and off-campus pedestrian traffic. Its interior was designed as a lively and inviting space, with durable, modern finishes as well as the latest in lighting and electronic imaging. The University has enjoyed a 31 percent increased in the number of board plan participants in the first semester after opening. By 2008, total dining contracts had grown by 120 percent.
The building is located in the heart of the urban campus, at a crossroads of both residential and off-campus pedestrian traffic. Its interior was designed as a lively and inviting space, with durable, modern finishes as well as the latest in lighting and electronic imaging. The University has enjoyed a 31 percent increased in the number of board plan participants in the first semester after opening. By 2008, total dining contracts had grown by 120 percent.
Shafer Court embodies the seldom-achieved aspirations of campus dining: attracting diners with diverse choices, and creating a destination within the campus community with its combination of quality, energy, and atmosphere.
“Elegant and artistic. Sensitive to student needs.”
2005 Jury, American School & University Magazine, Educational Interiors Showcase Gold Award
