By Christopher Kleingartner & Erica Rapp
Across higher education campuses, there are buildings that quietly hold the heart and soul of the institution. They’re the places nearly every student passes through, live on in countless memories, and are often the most recognizable symbols of academic identity on campuses. These buildings also sit at the center of today’s most difficult facilities decisions.
Merrifield Hall is that place at the University of North Dakota. Originally constructed in 1929 in the Collegiate Gothic style, Merrifield has served as the longstanding home of UND’s Language and Arts programs and as a shared experience for generations of students.
When a building like Merrifield Hall approaches a century of continuous use, the question is no longer whether change is needed, but how to approach that change responsibly. The renovation of Merrifield demonstrates how architecture can honor legacy while addressing the realities of modern learning, accessibility, energy performance, and long-term stewardship. More importantly, it raises a critical question facing campuses everywhere: How do we set historic buildings up for not just the next renovation cycle, but for the next hundred years?
Purposeful Reinvention Over Replacement
Purposeful reinvention begins by asking a simple yet critical question: What already works and how can it work better?
Merrifield Hall was not failing structurally nor was it beyond repair, but like many buildings from its era, it did face familiar challenges seen across higher education: aging mechanical systems, limited daylight, accessibility constraints, and classroom configurations no longer aligned with contemporary pedagogy.
Rather than viewing these limitations as justification for demolition, JLG treated them as design opportunities. Reinvesting in the existing building reduced life-cycle costs, minimized construction risk, and preserved the cultural and donor legacy embedded in the structure. Equally important, it allowed UND to build on a familiar and trusted campus asset rather than replace it with something disconnected from campus identity.
At UND’s Wilkerson Hall, the same reinvention-first mindset guided the renewal of a 1960s student‑life hub that no longer aligned with modern dining and engagement needs. Instead of replacing the familiar octagonal structure, JLG reorganized its large, open seating into purposeful dining and social pods, expanded the footprint for updated kitchen and serving functions, and activated the lower level as a major circulation and gathering zone. By strengthening what already worked, UND preserved a valued asset while creating a more functional, inviting, and cost‑effective facility.
Designing With Intent, Not Excess
The challenge of purposeful reinvention is finding the precise balance between preservation and progress. At Merrifield, the goal was not to make the building feel new, but to make it feel capable of supporting modern learning while retaining its historic soul.
Key design elements were deliberate and strategic. A new east-facing entrance connects the building to the campus quad and establishes a clear, accessible front door. Expanded use of glass introduces daylight deep into the interior, improving learning environments while enhancing wayfinding. Historically-accurate window re-creations improve both thermal performance and architectural authenticity.
Accessibility upgrades and flexible classroom technologies ensure were integrated to support evolving pedagogies rather than constraining them.
Underutilized space was reduced, and circulation areas were reimagined as places for study, collaboration and informal interaction. Spaces that once simply moved people now contribute to learning, connection, and overall building effectiveness without adding square footage.
At Cankdeska Cikana Community College, designing with intent meant creating a culturally rooted building that uses only what is necessary. With its sleek and minimal design, the Heritage and Cultural Center’s curved, tipi‑inspired form reduced material use by 11 percent, while daylighting, ribbed metal panels, and a flexible multipurpose hall support stewardship and adaptability. Similar to Merrifield, the project shows how disciplined design choices can elevate function and meaning without excess, resulting in a facility that serves community, culture, and learning.
Honoring the Past While Designing for Change
Purposeful reinvention does not freeze a building in time, it prepares it for change. Merrifield Hall’s structure and layouts now support a wide range of future academic uses, acknowledging that teaching methods, enrollment patterns, and program needs will continue to evolve and the space can adapt with it.
The building also functions as a living storyteller. Integrated art exhibits, environmental graphics, and donor recognition elements connect students to UND’s history while reinforcing the building’s ongoing role in campus life. By pairing preserved materials such as the building’s interior grotesques, iconic bronze doors, and weathered staircases with contemporary interventions, the renovation demonstrates how legacy can strengthen innovation rather than compete with it.
The NDSU Bolley Agricultural Laboratory reinforces this idea by honoring the long agricultural legacy of the College of Agriculture while preparing the building for future research needs. Flexible academic neighborhoods and adaptable labs support changing workflows, while dedicated storage protects historic seed collections that are essential to ongoing breeding and research traditions. Interior artwork and materials will highlight the region’s agricultural history and the pioneering work that shaped the college. By combining these legacy elements with a forward-looking, practical design, Bolley becomes a functional research center that also preserves and shares the story of generations of agricultural innovation.
A Replicable Model for Campuses Everywhere
Merrifield Hall offers a clear takeaway for higher education leaders and civic plant director teams: meaningful reinvestment in existing buildings can deliver long-term value that new construction often struggles to match. Purposeful reinvention reduces deferred maintenance risks, improves operational performance, and preserves institutional identity while positioning the campus for the future with confidence.
As colleges and universities assess their aging academic facilities, Merrifield stands as a replicable model rather than a one-off success. When approached with intention, strategy, and discipline, legacy buildings can be transformed into flexible, inclusive, and future-ready assets proving that. Progress and preservation move forward together, not as opposites.
