St. Stanislaus College Dining Hall

St. Stanislaus College Dining Hall, Bay St. Louis Mississippi

Projected Completion: Fall 2009 • Budget: $$7,200,000

The new cafeteria facility will serve both boarding and day students as well as staff and guest virtually every day of the year. The old dining hall, destroyed by Katrina, will be replaced with a collegiate style facility built to current codes and standards that require elevating the structure above the new base flood elevations and provide impact glazing, hurricane force wind resistance and generators to protect the kitchen against loss of power.

The exterior takes its cues from the existing brick campus while arched walkways provide protection from the elements at all access points. The brick facades matches the adjacent campus structures while the decorative pre-cast concrete arches of the brick walkways connect the structure to adjacent buildings. A clock tower becomes the focal point of the west walkway and provides closure to that end of the academic campus. The standing seam hipped metal roof caps the brick volumes of the building and tower while a near flat roof covers the curved portions of the structure. A large dining room accommodates lunch for 300 students per seating and provides an expansive view of the campus thru 17' tall curtain wall glazing. The smaller dining room provides a space to serve breakfast and dinner for boarding students and, with its fireplace, a more intimate meeting space for student groups and school activities. A full service kitchen will provide many more options for the students with an expanded menu. A terrazzo floor and glazed block walls provide an attractive and durable interior.

The need to meet new flood requirements with elevated structures presented the opportunity to use the space beneath the building for productive purposes. The building provides a protected space from sun and rain and a gathering place for students. Stepped seating allows for informal conversations and enclosed areas provide storage for boats and other equipment used by the sailing team and summer campers.

The project is primarily funded thru FEMA and MEMA as a major component of the schools Katrina recovery.