University of South Carolina

Completion Date

January 2015

Project Budget
$770,000

The new Campus Life / Leadership and Service Center is located inside the Russell House at the heart of the University of South Carolina campus. This 3,740 square foot renovation repurposes a typical office suite into an open, inviting, and technologically-driven multi-purpose space - allowing students to interact with USC leadership staff and each other.  The design reorganizes the suite with minimal use of partitions, providing a more open, flexible space that is easily reconfigured to accommodate different uses and participant groups. A central transition zone is defined by “high performance” walls incorporating interactive digital media. The remaining walls are transparent or semi-transparent glazed surfaces, retaining the sense of openness and allowing borrowed daylight to penetrate deeper into the suite. A transformative cantilevered bay window provides optimal north-facing daylight. The bay window is located close to the entrance ramp of the Russell House and provides a new identity for the Leadership Center. The project opened in early 2015.