Rutgers-Newark Student One Stop & Commuter Lounge

Weaving Together Campus & Community

Experiences are more than memorable - they define our identities. The Rutgers identity, with its rich history of providing exceptional education, cutting edge research, and public service to New Jersey and its citizenry, is supported and fulfilled by the places and people that Rutgers’ campuses weave together. The repurposing of Boyden and Conklin Halls on its Newark Campus is an opportunity to provide a beacon for the student experience, weaving together student centricity, campus diversity, neighborhood community, and the Rutgers identity to support the University’s interactions with students. 

Boyden and Conklin Halls are located on University Avenue, straddling either side of the famous Rutgers Newark gateway arch, facing east, and overlooking downtown Newark. They represent the symbolic face of campus, its interface with the larger community, and the entry to the campus core. Rutgers plans to repurpose these buildings as a facility that supports all student services needs under one roof. Many Rutgers University – Newark students balance work, school, and commute, and will benefit immensely from a highly accessible, ‘One Stop’ service center that addresses student needs in a single, streamlined location, as well as a dedicated Commuter Lounge.

The design of the reimagined Boyden and Conklin Halls features a modernized façade that provides a symbolic and functional new entry to the campus core. Key program elements are strategically highlighted along the façade, specifically the Commuter Lounge and One Stop. An overhead element addresses protection from the elements and simultaneously connects the design of the two buildings, while balancing sensitivity to budget and maintaining the experience of being outdoors.