Conceived as a means to further their mission of intentional blending of liberal arts and professional skills, The Point at Otterbein is a STEAM educational center on the edge of campus. The project adapts an existing warehouse to create innovative classrooms and makerspaces for students of all disciplines. Several of the labs are occupied by local and national businesses, offering students the opportunity to gain internships and professional development experience.

The project also incorporates a bistro cafe, a recreation lounge, a multi-use patio, and co-working, makerspace, and event spaces available that encourage various work/study methods and are for public rental. The result is a building that turns the remote area of campus into a destination and attracts top caliber students to the University. Through careful space planning, the design team defined the requirements for a space which met the varying needs of each stakeholder. By combining flexible academic and business incubation spaces, co-working environments, an event hall, and a recreational lounge, WSA worked with Otterbein University to execute their vision of transforming a warehouse in a remote area of campus into a destination for top-caliber students, innovative companies, and the surrounding community.

By combining academic and business incubation spaces, The Point creates an entrepreneurial ecosystem at Otterbein University and in the City of Westerville that mutually benefits corporations, the University, and students. The Department of Engineering has expanded from one to four fields of study, and the facility has attracted partners such as JPMorgan Chase and Nestle, who have brought over one hundred jobs to the community. The Point also hosts summer camps, such as the Young Entrepreneurs Academy. To date, the Point has created tenant relationships with Nestle, JP Morgan Chase, and Nikola Labs.

Design: WSA
Photography: CKP Studio, AJ Brown Imaging