Penn Engineering : Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Center
Introduction
The Penn Engineering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Center is designing a new home in the Towne Building and would love your input. Studio Modh, an architecture firm that has extensive experience working on the Penn campus and within the Engineering complex, has been hired to facilitate a discussion with you and a group of past, current, and future members of the Penn Engineering community. The goal of the conversation is to ensure that the design reflects the values and aspirations of the community that will use it. This website provides you with a preliminary plan of the space, some early sketches, and a series of thoughts for consideration in advance of the Zoom conversation on Tuesday, March 16th at 4:00pm. We’d appreciate it if you could review the early design on this mini-site, provide your name, contact information, and background, as well as any initial thoughts or questions you may have in advance of the meeting on the 16th. We’d appreciate any thoughts or questions by Sunday, March 14th, at 5:00pm.
Existing Space
The Center will unify three large reading rooms that were originally part of the Engineering Library and are currently being used as group study areas. The space enjoys massive thirteen and half foot tall ceilings that are marked by three equally large windows that look south onto Locust Walk and the brilliant red brick of Hayden Hall. The three rooms are accessed off the main second floor corridor and are marked by ornate marble framed doorways.
Vision
The Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is intended to be a welcoming space for engineering students of different racial, ethnic, cultural, sexual and/or gender identification, abilities, and perspectives. It is a space to gather, to learn, and to share. The new space will be visible while also being a sanctuary for contemplation, study, group chats, events, and lectures.
The new DEI Center will be anchored around a “living room” intended to encourage students to gather between classes, grab a cup of coffee or snack, or reach out to DEI staff for conversation (item 6 below). A new meeting space will sit adjacent to the living room for lectures and conversations in a more formal setting (item 7 below). The design of both spaces will be harmonious to encourage use of both spaces throughout the day. A separate entrance to the meeting room will enable seminars or meetings to take place without impacting the use of the “living room” throughout the day.
The space will be equipped with niches, shelves, and tack space for the display of active Engineering projects and other artifacts that reflect the character of the DEI Center.
At the entrance, a new marble framed wall recess will be equipped with a large LED screen (item 14 below) that will announce events and schedules of the Center to ensure the larger Engineering community feels connected and informed.
Finally, the Center will be anchored by the DEI Staff who will occupy a series of small offices and open workstations within the space where students can go to seek counsel. These rooms are private and comfortable spaces for conversation.
Conceptual Design plan of the new Center depicting a new entrance (upper left), living room and pantry (middle), and events room (right). (Click on image to enlarge)
Early concept sketch showing depicting the Events Room looking south toward Locust Walk. (Click on image to enlarge)
Early concept sketch depicting the “Living Room” with staff offices to the left and windows and a pantry to the right. (Click on image to enlarge)
Thoughts and Questions to Consider for the March 16th Conversation
Below are questions or prompts for you to consider prior to attending the group conversation on March 16th about the design of the DEI Space. Some of these prompts may be directly relevant to you while others may be more relevant to some of your fellow attendees. For example, a question about your past experiences at Penn Engineering may not be relevant if you are a new student who, due to COVID, has not yet experienced on-campus life.
What do you feel the purpose or mission of a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Center should be? Is there a facet of Penn Engineering life that warrants a particular focus for the Center (for example, the hours it is open, the kinds of events)?
What kinds of spaces or functionality in a Center like this will best serve your perception of the DEI mission?
Do you have any experiences to share that will help the DEI Center be successful for future Penn Engineering students of diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, sexual and/or gender identification, or ability? How can we learn and apply those lessons to the kinds of features this space might contain?
The design attempts to balance being transparent and welcoming with the need to create a safe and comfortable space for students who need it. Please share any thoughts you may have on how the design or the Center more generally should balance these issues of outreach and safety.
We are attempting to design a space that feels distinct and comfortable. To that end, we will be trying to incorporate art, engineering projects, color, and other elements into the space. If you have any thoughts on individuals, projects, or achievements that bring you enormous pride within your community, please let us know.
How often do you visit the existing DEI Center and how long would you normally stay? Put another way, how often do you think you would visit a space like this and how long would you stay?
Would a space like this enable or inspire you to engage your community and the Engineering community at large in different ways? For example, would the provision of space like this enable you to organize and meet with your peers to explore issues that fall outside of in-class learning? Please provide examples.
Tell us about you
Please provide us with some basic information to enable us to better prepare for the conversation. Please submit this information to us by Sunday, March 14th at 5:00pm.