Graphic by Courtney Niskala • niskalac@thejohnsonian.com

Learn more about WiNthrop’s newest addition to campusINSIDE:

presents

ultimate The

guide

The DiGiorgio Campus Center

THURSDAY September 9, 2010 8

ultimate The

guide to the DIGS.

Winthrop’s Vice President for Facili-ties Design and Development, Man-ning Gibson, steered the creative aspects of the new campus center. The Johnsonian’s Jonathan McFad-den caught up with Gibson this week.

Birthday: May 26 Hometown: Washington, Ind. Educational/professional back-ground: Undergraduate degree from Winthrop University in consumer science, with an emphasis on com-mercial and textile design; a stint at Parson’s Design Institute in New York, N.Y.Other projects completed at Winthrop: The Stone House, which earned him a Historic Preservation Award, Owens Hall, West Center, Carroll Hall, Dalton Hall

Favorite song: “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Diana RossFavorite movie: “The Lake House”Favorite book: “The DaVinci Code”Favorite color: GreenProudest accomplishments: “Raising my five adopted sons.”Lifelong dream: “When I slow down at Winthrop University, I plan on visiting the pyramids in Egypt.”Travel abroad: “All over the U.S., I’m a big island person. I’ve been to most of the Southern Islands.”If you were stuck in a traffic jam, who would you want to be in the car with you: “My brother, he’s the entertainer in the family.”Manning’s philosophy on de-sign: “I want to help educate with an ‘awe’ factor.”

Winthrop’s own design starThirty seconds with Manning Gibson

Graph

ics b

y Co

urtn

ey N

iskal

a • n

iskal

ac@

thej

ohns

onia

n.co

m

Photo contributed by Manning Gibson

At a glance...Namesake: President Anthony DiGiorgio and first lady Gale DiGiorgioNickname: The DIGSSquare feet: 128,229Comparative size: Third largest building just behind the West Center and the ColiseumYards of concrete: 6,000Bricks: 260,000Theater: Seats 224 people

Zac Craig, freshman marketing major, shoots pool on the first floor of the campus center. Photo by Paul Ricciaridi • Special to The Johnsonian

THURSDAY September 9, 2010 9

By Claire Byunbyunc@thejohnsonian.com

While the newness of the DiGior-gio Campus Center will slowly wane, its architecture and connection to Winthrop’s history will persist.

Built to work in tandem with the Lois Rhame West Center, the “DIGS” incorporates the Neo-Georgian style of older buildings on campus, as well as a more modern style.

“We always want to build build-ings that honor our campus architec-ture, yet bring a more contemporary flair that will be appealing to students and endure into future generations,” said Walter Hardin, associate vice president for facilities management.

The overall project took nine years, and the university began look-ing to upgrade Dinkins in 2001. How-ever, developers learned the building could not be modified to fit future students’ needs, and Oakland Road traffic would create a barrier for stu-dent interaction.

“Around 2003 is when we started

looking at creating a new heart of campus, central to Winthrop’s west-ward growth, and the idea of a totally new campus center seemed like a much better way to go,” Hardin said.

Student leaders were taken on tours to other collegiate student centers, and talks between student life and staff solidified details about what students needed, wanted and

what the new building should hold.Inspiration for the center came

from DiGiorgio’s vision for Win-throp’s development, which he calls “education by design.” Both the West Center and the DIGS contain pieces of the old Peabody Gymnasium, which was torn down to construct the new buildings.

The medallions on the Campus Center’s side are recycled from Pea-body, and the new gym’s lobby floor-ing was originally housed in the old gym.

To keep the DIGS presentable, Hardin asks students to refrain from using scotch tape on the walls.

Though no secret passages exist in the Campus Center, a strange baby boom happened during construc-tion. Four of the project managers had babies during that time, Hardin said.

“It was like the babies all wanted to be born at once so they could grow up fast and be able to use the DIGS,” he said.

Graphics by Mika Parajon • Special to The Johnsonian

Center merges tradition, new ‘flair’Campus center

embodies ‘education by design’

Above: Muhiyidin Moye (left) a liberal arts major and Sherman Marshall play Jimbay’s. They hope to encourage a full drum circle in the common area because they say the acoustics are very good. Photo by Kathleen Brown • brownk@thejohn-sonian.com

Around 2003 is when we started look-ing at creating a new heart of campus... Walter HardinAssociate vice president for facilities management

“”

heart The

of campus

Left: Winthrop held an open house for the center on Aug. 27. A formal dedi-cation ceremony will be Sept. 23-24. Below: Danielle Fi-luminia, freshman business major, and Marie Smith, freshman special education major, enjoy nice weather in the Community Concourse.Photos by Paul Ric-ciaridi • Special to The Johnsonian