How Dean 104 Transformed into Dean 104 Culture Lab

Dean 104 was identified as an ideal classroom for renovation due to its state of disrepair and underutilization, and its unique historical location on the Mānoa campus. The renovation revives this squandered resource residing at a prime location adjacent to the Campus Center and located on the historical Quad. It offers a teaching and learning space uniquely defined and designed for diverse, innovative, culturally-based courses taught across all disciplines at Mānoa.

The Center for Teaching Excellence has partnered with Glenn Yokotake of GDdesign, architect/designer of the Sakamaki Innovation Zone (SIZ), to create teaching spaces that have drawn courses from every college on campus to become centers for engaged teaching pedagogies and learning experiences since 2014. These spaces are scheduled from morning to night throughout the academic year and summers for courses of all disciplines. SIZ has won national awards for university classroom design and has played a significant role in media promotion of UHM.

In that spirit, this second partnering with GDdesign on the renovation of Dean 104 is designed to draw courses from every college in which cultural practices and knowledge are an integrated element of specific courses. These courses may include but are not limited to topics of language and literature, science and social science, humanities, fine arts and performing arts.

Continue reading: Dean 104 History & Design