The Muhlenberg College campus is one of intimacy. The student body of 2,500 are a close-knit group, and the Seegers Union, with the only dining commons on campus, reinforces this sense of community.

The original union was outgrowing its space and had grown in a series of smaller additions that left the building feeling disjointed. This renovation added 30,000 sf of much needed space including the 600-seat Wood Dining Commons, and unified and renovated much of the remaining 50,000 sf, including a bookstore, and a regional catering operation.

The dining commons is an AYCTE (all-you-care-to-eat) trayless facility featuring two large-scale kosher venues catering to the significant Jewish population on campus, tied with a regional Hillel catering operation serving the entire region. It doubles as an event venue that seats an entire class.

The LEED-designed facility contains many sustainable features, including a rooftop rain garden and a dining commons featuring eucalyptus columns and trim, a readily renewable (fast-growth) wood.

photos by Richard Mandelkorn Photography

completed with Bruner/Cott

red entry doors are a tradition on the Muhlenberg College campus

the White Dining Commons provides closure to the quad; a welcoming beacon at supper time

the campus dines together each day under one roof