A new adaptive reuse academic project from Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects (LOHA) for Chapman University is getting students' feet moving following the completion of the Sandi Simon Dance Center this January.

The project remade an aging century-old former fruit packing warehouse space operated by the school’s namesake, the orange growing magnate C.C. Chapman, into a 72,000-square-foot educational and performance facility complete with new five dance studios, breakout areas, classrooms, and a lounge. 

Acoustic upgrades were paramount to the project, along with a full seismic retrofit and a new circulation strategy that reorganized the structure’s interior into three levels. An influx of natural sunlight is incorporated through a precise cut into the original floor, allowing for the introduction of new volumes that house separate programs and are connected by a multi-story central atrium. 

Per the architects: “At the base of the atrium, wood from the former flooring of the packing house is repurposed into massing defining the base of the gallery. Walking up the stairs, visitors enter a vibrant gathering area in the gallery where students connect, warm up, and take breaks."

The original planks used on the floor are once again reused as cladding throughout the design. LOHA also managed to retain the building’s original signature sawtooth roof, which was given a fresh coat of paint. 

The end resulted in still more flexible space in over half the remaining building, which Chapman plans to use for further arts educational programming. The project was completed in just under two years at a cost of $16.8 million.