Northwestern University Cohen Lawn and Campus Pub

An esteemed academic institution with nearly 23,000 students, Northwestern University sought to create a stronger central hub for student life on its 240-acre campus on the shore of Lake Michigan just north of Chicago. A lawn adjacent to Norris University Center was the obvious choice: Situated along a protected lagoon that opens to the lake, the outdoor space already hosted large University events, but it lacked the infrastructure to be usable daily, especially in the colder months.

The new Cohen Lawn and campus pub will be the new center for student life on campus, creating a true sense of place with both indoor and outdoor amenities that capitalize on its picturesque waterfront setting. Its hardscape and lawn reach out from Norris University Center to an open-air plaza, covered performance pavilion, and seating areas.

SmithGroup’s architecture, landscape architecture, MEP engineering and civil engineering disciplines contributed to the project — a highly integrated team that worked closely with the client and adapted quickly to new inputs and ideas. The plan took shape with extensive input from Northwestern’s leadership, faculty and students. It grew more substantial as it evolved, indicative of the University's commitment to enhancing student life.

Original plans for an outdoor grill were elevated to a year-round pub: a warm and welcoming gathering place unlike anywhere else on campus, with exposed timbers, a curved glass curtainwall, seating for more than 100 people, and a rooftop deck that will be an extension of Norris’s South Lawn. Both the pub and Norris University Center will anchor the plaza, a natural hub for large-scale campus events.

Ample lawn areas will remain beyond the pub and plaza, providing space to enjoy movies and music on the plaza or pavilion. Like the patterns of migratory birds that frequent the area, the Cohen Lawn will establish comforting areas of nesting and belonging that students will return to again and again.

Coinciding with the space improvements, the team made necessary upgrades to the University's stormwater management system. It replaced failing daisy basins with improved infiltration, bioretention and two new outlets into an existing cooling pond, relieving pressure on overburdened upstream and downstream outlets. The plan improves water quality in the lake and makes the shoreline more resilient to wind, waves and future climatic changes — ensuring the Cohen Lawn will be an iconic campus landmark for years to come.