Ohio Northern University’s James Lehr Kennedy Engineering building recently received the Cincinnati Design Awards (CDA) Award for Merit.

The award program recognizes the best built-environment design produced by Cincinnati-area creative firms and promotes the social and economic value of good design in our community.

Each year, a nationwide jury of design thought leaders and eminent practitioners presents the awards to projects submitted by local architecture, interiors, landscape and experiential graphic designers.

The ONU building designer is BHDP Architecture. The project team included Margaret Lange and Bill Thiemann. The award recognized the building’s experimental graphics.

Here’s the description of the building by the award presenters:
Bold typography. Pops of color. Powerful imagery. At Ohio Northern University (ONU), our firm took the James Lehr Kennedy Engineering Building from ordinary to extraordinary through experiential graphics and branding.

At the start of our project with ONU, we held strategic visioning sessions with administrators, faculty, and students so we could truly appreciate each person’s unique perspective.

Inside the building, large inspirational quotes encourage both students and faculty to problem solve, build relationships, and make a difference. A colorful timeline showcases the rich heritage of the engineering college and demonstrates how this top undergraduate engineering school came to be.  

A three-story donor wall in the atrium showcases those who made this building possible with acrylic backlit panels.

The main donor’s biography can be found at the entry through digital signage and a large, polished plaque. A LEED feature wall is displayed with wood that was recovered from the trees harvested at the building site with the bold statement, “Progress is impossible without change.”

Through ONU’s vibrant brand colors, “We are ONU Engineers” stands out on a wall to instill pride in those who walk the halls.

These small touches and purposeful designs serve to inspire the brilliant minds of ONU, and the experiential graphics and branding take the space to the next level—elevating the experience and creating an inspiring environment for learning, creating, and growing.