Proposed Wellness Center Addition and Renovation
Dominique Patti
Co-Presenters: Mildred Alvarado, Vanessa Bojcev, Ashley Massano, Dale Martin, Julian Rago, Lauryn Repollet
College: Michael Graves College
Major: Interior Deisign
Faculty Research Mentor: Steven Remotti Tracie Felman
Abstract:
The Kean University's Wellness Center is housed on the Union campus primarily in Downs Hall. What was once separate health departments were brought together during phase one of the Wellness Center project. The individual departments are now together in a contiguous location to create a unified wellness approach. A second phase was investigated, where an adjacent exterior space to the building could be utilized to transform into a Wellness Plaza, aimed at providing an outside retreat for users. During the past fall 2024 semester, the Campus Planning Student team of interior designers and architects researched a third phase. By focusing on the determinants of health, benchmarking other University Wellness Centers, and getting feedback via interviews from Senior Wellness Center Administrators, this research proposes a redesign of the vacant dining hall kitchen to expand the center’s clinical services, provide additional wellness spaces, and expand the cougar pantry. Various options of floor plans and models were created, ultimately resulting in one final plan that adhered best to the proposed project objective and program.