N.C. A&T Student Center Wins Industry Awards

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (May 2, 2019) – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s new Student Center recently won several prestigious awards for its design, construction and architecture from the state’s prestigious trade organizations.

The North Carolina chapter of the American Institute of Architects honored the Student Center, designed by Vines Architecture, with the 2019 Honor Award for Design. N.C. State Construction office awarded the project a Certificate of Merit for Project Implementation; and the Association of General Contractors awarded Balfour Beatty, the project’s contractor, a Certificate of Merit for Excellence in Construction.

“The students have completely embraced the StudentCenter,” said Andy Perkins, assistant vice chancellor for facilities. “They told us what they wanted and, by God, A&T, Victor Vines and Balfour Beatty really delivered. It feels good to be recognized for that.”

The 150,000-square-foot Student Center is rated a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, the most widely used green building rating system in the world) Silver facility, using innovative solutions to support the environment and public health in many areas including energy use and air quality.

It features areas for studying, small and large group meetings, relaxation; dining options such as Einstein Bros., Chick-fil-A and 1891 Cafe; student activity offices, gaming and recreation areas; as well as the campus Barnes & Noble bookstore and Starbucks café.

Project planning began in 2015 when students were surveyed about what they’d like to see in a new student center that would make N.C. A&T feel more like home, Perkins said.

“We’d heard that students would go to other campuses because of their student centers, so we wanted to make sure ours had everything they needed or wanted,” he said. “Now, we’re sure that our facilities are more than adequate, and when students decide to come to Aggieland, we know they’ll get a great education and they’ll also have one heck of a time.”