At Vanderbilt’s Alumni Hall, a historic commons gets new energy and openness from a slate-clad steel stair suspended by stainless cables.

At VU Alumni Hall, wood handrails soften metallic cables, which act as guardrails and structural supports simultaneously

At Vanderbilt’s Martha Rivers Ingram Commons, four fireplaces allow clean burning hearths to radiate all their heat into the spaces that house them.

At Bolton Dining Commons, Douglas Fir roof framing brings a welcoming glow to this UGA dining terrace

At UGA Bolton Dining Commons, random laid local Elberton Granite softens aesthetic on a neo-classical campus

granite piers and douglas fir structure add Acadian warmth to the dining interior