Marquette University: Innovation Kitchen

Marquette University had a desire to commence their campus Health and Wellness initiative with a novel approach to the topic of food and student life. They were looking to quickly convert a traditionally modeled food service kitchen into a demonstration kitchen.

The vision was to host educational, hands-on events that would explore healthy and diverse cooking techniques from cultures around the world. Having this culinary venue could bring students, staff, and faculty together to collaborate on topics outside the academic classroom.

The challenge for the design team was to take the enclosed commercial kitchen and open it up to the adjacent dining room while providing clear sight lines and flexibility to maximize the number of ways that the venue could be utilized. We upgraded the kitchen’s aesthetic, added audio and visual equipment, and implemented folding counter and wall partitions to ensure that the space could be customized for each event.

Our team’s creativity in the design was only the beginning—the students and staff have successfully hosted a diverse set of events including: Sushi 101, Breakfast for Dinner, and Chinese New Year cuisine. The utilization rate and array of events that can be hosted in the space have dramatically increased since its opening.