- Type Visioning
- Services Architecture
- Size 31,760 SF

The Challenge
Muhlenberg College is planning to construct a new Integrated Learning Building and renovate and expand the Career Center. These are parallel projects which bookend the Muhlenberg experience and contribute to a student’s transformation of passion into purpose. The challenge in designing the Integrative Learning Building is threefold: to position the building so it keeps the rhythm and spirit of campus, to create a space that feels as powerfully connected to the campus center as it does to its edge, and to avoid creating a barrier which would isolate East Hall.
Our Approach
The new Integrated Learning Building at Muhlenberg College is intended to further combine technology and the classroom by allowing multi-disciplinary learners to collectively solve a problem. As a physical manifestation of the curriculum, the new building is designed with teamwork in mind and boasts a central collaboration venue serving double duty as a circulation space and lecture hall. An inherently collaborative building should appear that way inside and out.

Design Solution
This new academic building is highlighted by the beacon – an architectural feature designed to attract learning and showcase its collaborative quality. The beacon hangs above the building’s southern entrance with large glass walls to the east and west. A metal sunshade on the southern façade tempers the sun and is respectful of Egner Chapel’s historic face. Just steps inside the lobby, a buzz of conversation fills the air throughout a large open space where students socialize while charging laptops between sips of iced coffee. Upstairs, flexible meeting rooms are clustered near a floating common room equipped with state-of-the-art technology and supplies designed to support the creative explorations of Integrative Learning.

alloy_5
Apr 10
Snacks, swivel chairs and sketching // Calypso Elementary School`s Curious Cougars program brings third graders on field trips to local businesses for hands-on learning. We drank apple juice, ate snacks and talked about design before hitting the Vault to create and present sketches. Thank you for the visit, Cougars, we`ll see you in the neighborhood. •
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• #5gang #fieldtrip #thirdgrade #architecture #architects #designers #officelife #snacks #swivelchairs #sketches #littlediggers #eachoneteachone #communityconnection #didyoucutthatapplejuice #bethlehempa #lehighvalleypa #westsidebestside ...
alloy_5
Mar 9
Heart of the Valley // Our friends at @allentowncitypa asked us to create a collectible for their @saquon celebration. We cooked up these limited edition trading cards featuring an iconic image from @sfdigitals. The event benefited @masbfoundation Saquon’s nonprofit dedicated to empowering underserved youth. Congrats to the Super Bowl champ on an incredible season and thanks for celebrating with us in @lehighvalleypa. #5gang #graphicdesign #designers #tradingcards #cardcollector #gemmint10 #philadelphiaeagles #gobirds #superbowllix #weare #keytothecity #allentownpa #lehighvalleypa ...
alloy_5
Jan 20
Can you DIG it? // Design Integration Group sessions bring architects and designers together to sketch, discuss and plan. Today`s topic is Easton Area High School. #5gang #architects #designers #architecture #archilife #officelife #design #sketching #redrovers #lehighvalleypa #snowday #inthevault ...
alloy_5
Dec 23
“For it is plain as anyone can see, we’re simply meant to be.” // We carried the spirit of Halloween Town straight into Christmas this year and celebrated our offices in Bethlehem and Allentown. Happy holidays from your friends at Alloy5 💚
#5gang #bethlehempa #christmascityusa #happyholidays #nightmarebeforechristmas #goodbyelila ...
alloy_5
Dec 20
We might see a white Christmas this year, but it`s always green and bright for the Gang. Happy holidays from all of us to all of you 💚 #5gang #bethlehempa #christmascityusa #happyholidays #snowday #mostlikelyto #bowlingchampions #darkmarkera #goodbyelila #timetobuystockinsportsillustrated ...