Georgia Tech, West Village Dining Commons

Atlanta, GA

Designed by Cooper Carry, in association with Lake | Flato and Koons Environmental Design, West Village Dining Commons is situated in a residential area of campus that lacked a gathering spot available to residents and visitors. Whether meeting friends for a fresh meal, settling in for heads-down studying, rehearsing for a choral concert, or providing a place for quiet moments of reflection and break from academic rigor, the facility features a variety of thoughtfully designed spaces to support student success. The design supports the whole person with respect to social connection, a connection to nature and sustainable materials and standards. It was a key goal in design to allow maximum flexibility and utilization of space in the dining and lounge areas, as well as to provide an indoor/outdoor connection to nature. Additionally, the design approach sought to create a new heart and multi-purpose living room for the Georgia Tech West Village Dining where students could find a place to call their own and engage in the campus’ larger mission to Serve, Learn and Sustain.

The flexible $23.7 million, 50,000 SF facility includes seven different food venues, support kitchens, offices, four academic classrooms designed for music rehearsal, and ample dining, meeting and study spaces. Blurring the boundaries between inside and out, day lit interiors open directly onto large terraces on all three levels, and bridges from the 2nd and 3rd floors create direct connections to the campus on all sides of the project. The upper levels offer spectacular views of the Atlanta skyline, while the ground floor spills out into the active landscape seamlessly integrated with the architecture. The variety of seating types and locations serves the community throughout the day, transitioning from active to reflective and back again to suit users’ needs.