In need of new classrooms and gathering spaces, Harper College selected Holabird & Root to renovate its D Building for modern academic instruction.  The 142,000-s.f. facility houses administrative spaces, the mathematics department, and the computer science department.

New spaces include a variety of student gathering spaces, classrooms, offices, teaching laboratories, and additional student support spaces for the College. The project includes a regional chiller plant providing chilled water to the entire campus quadrant. 

This project involved the renovation of and addition to an academic building that was originally completed in the mid 1970’s.  Since that time, the College’s curriculum had changed significantly.   The total gut and rehabilitation of the building included replacing obsolete laboratories with modern, technology-rich classrooms that support active, hands-on learning. 

The original building also provided very little space for student gathering.  In order to create a stronger sense of an academic community, Holabird & Root demolished portions of the structure and replaced them with light-filled open space (Rotunda).  The Rotunda includes student gathering spaces with flexible furniture, providing a space for interdisciplinary collaboration. With modern academic spaces and amenities, the renovated building has become one of the most popular places on campus.