Thomas M. Cooley Law School – Ann Arbor Campus

Long halls highlighted by handsome wood paneling and glass walls that allow light to flow in seamlessly from outdoors.

Originally an office and distribution center for a trucking company designed by renowned architect, Alden Dow, the close proximity to U.S. Highway 23 and Interstate Highway 94 made this a highly desirable location for access by students from across southeast Michigan. The campus renovations established a comprehensive recycling program, enhanced surrounding wetlands, and put focus on outdoor spaces. With features like bike racks and outdoor furniture made from recycled materials, Cooley made the campus fit into the surrounding area, while maintaining its structure and charm.

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Location

3475 Plymouth Rd, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Owner

Thomas M. Cooley Law School
http://www.cooley.edu

Profile

Download Thomas M. Cooley Law School – Ann Arbor Campus Profile PDF

Adaptive reuse is an objective often cited in the green building movement. While the focus on adaptive reuse can often, and properly, be the reusing of an existing structure, the best examples of adaptive reuse sometimes lie in how a building adapts to changes in its ownership and use. The Thomas M. Cooley Law School’s Ann Arbor campus has seen change throughout the years, as has the community surrounding it.

SERF certification has provided Cooley Law School with a cost-effective means to display our commitment to sustainability. SERF’s criteria are practical and accessible and give us a standard for our facilities around the country.

Don LeDuc
President, Cooley Law School

The building was originally an office and distribution center for a trucking company. Designed by renowned architect, Alden Dow, its close proximity to U.S. Highway 23 and Interstate Highway 94 made this a natural location for access by students from across southeast Michigan.

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Tom Monaghan, the founder of Domino’s Pizza bought the building and, in 2000, turned it into the Ave Maria School of Law. While keeping many of the same exterior structural components, the remodeled interior features numerous examples of architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s ‘Prairie School’ style. Wright’s designs are often considered years ahead of their time in terms of green building concepts, and the interior of this building is no different.

Long halls are highlighted by handsome wood paneling and glass walls that allow light to flow in seamlessly from outdoors. Transitional spaces are minimized and gathering spaces maximized to encourage a focusing of energies. The library’s main reading room, though large, features no ceil- ing lights due to an efficient use of sky lighting and ambient lightfrom attached rooms.

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When Cooley established itself in the building, it created an updated green building space. The school repainted with low-VOC paints, maintained existing HVAC systems were repaired to be more efficient, and further increased recycled carpeting; along with new, efficient lighting systems.

Cooley’s attention to the outdoor area was also critical. The city of Ann Arbor, Mich., was developing greener practices, like establishing carpooling andpublic transit hubs in the area, and it was important for Cooley to keep pace with these changes and excel. The campus renovations established a comprehensive recycling program, enhanced surrounding wetlands, and put focus onoutdoor spaces. With features like bike racks and outdoor furniture made from recycled materials, Cooley made the campus fit into the surrounding area, while maintaining its structure and charm.

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Cooley’s Ann Arbor campus is an evolving and adapting example of Practical Environmental Stewardship™. It is a community asset with lots of history and a great future.

For more information contact: communications@cooley.edu.