New Kirkwood teaching hotel features an innovative space for learning, demonstrations and more
Tucked into the back of a pioneering educational facility is a classroom that can stop a tour group in its tracks, a place designed to be at once functional, flexible and impressive. By the late summer of 2010, the room will be tested for all those attributes and more.
The place is equal parts classroom, television studio and gourmet kitchen. Within its first year it could be the site of wine tastings, product demonstrations, “foodie” fundraisers and a myriad of college coursework. Its design is as modern as flat-screen TV monitors, with a spirit as old as Renaissance lecture halls.
If there is one room, one singular part of The Hotel at Kirkwood Center that explains the scope and ambition of a teaching hotel’s purpose, this amphitheater presentation space may be the place. The centerpiece of hospitality and culinary studies at Kirkwood Community College, the classroom is designed to make cooking skills and culinary concepts comfortably visible to more than 100 people at a time—plus the potential of hundreds or thousands more via cable TV and Internet connections.
The new Hotel will be the largest teaching facility of its kind at a community college in North America. Kirkwood’s education-focused hotel will bring state-of-the-art experiences to students while offering a level of comfort and style not found in another lodging choice in east central Iowa. The Hotel encompasses more than 107,000 square feet in four floors. Hospitality Arts classrooms, teaching kitchens and students spaces share the first floor with Hotel registration, meeting rooms and the Class Act Restaurant. The upper three floors house 71 guest rooms, including six suites and an exercise/workout facility.
At the heart of the student classrooms on the first floor, the 104-seat amphitheater teaching area promises to be a focal point of many courses and events. Planners and staff briefly likened the amphitheater to cable TV chef Emeril Lagasse’s expansive, multi-camera studio. That concept is especially evident among the classroom’s flexible options and open design, inviting audience interaction during high-visibility culinary demonstrations.
Early plans for using the room include a host of culinary technique demonstrations and guest chef discussions. The room will also be ideal for group wine tastings, engaging the just-launched Kirkwood winery and attendant vineyard located in the college’s Ag Science department.
Instructors in the Hospitality Arts programs anticipate many benefits and fun teaching moments using the new teaching space. Chairperson Mary Jane German says the visual demonstration space is a forward-thinking addition to many students’ future job requirements.
“With the increased interest in food and cooking, many culinary graduates will find themselves in a public setting, giving their own classes and demonstrations. With the growing interest in food preparation, Iowa farmer’s markets, supermarket classes and kitchen retail outlets are doing more demonstration events. Our grads can benefit from the practice and experience in this amphitheater,” German said.
The demonstration classroom will also make possible educational demonstrations from well-known chefs in many fields. Preliminary plans include hosting Paolo Monti, a noted master chef and culinary instructor from northern Italy. Kirkwood hopes to welcome Monti as a guest instructor later in 2010.
“In addition to Chef Paolo’s work with our students, we think it would be great for him to offer a cooking demonstration to the public. We hope to know more about that possibility this fall,” German added.
The Kirkwood culinary amphitheater room is equipped with four video cameras. Three can capture cooking demonstrations and presenter comments in a variety of overhead and high-angle points of view. A fourth camera is positioned at the back of the room, giving a high perspective on the crowd plus more views of the presenters and their culinary creations.
For the benefit of students and/or audience members, five large-screen television monitors are mounted to offer multiple views and access to the cooking activities and demonstrations. Three monitors are mounted above and in front of the work area, providing improved viewing for back rows of spectators. Two other LCD TVs will give optimal viewing for those in closer rows to the left and right of the center front demonstration area.
Instructors and presenters will have wireless microphones, with additional mics available for audience questions, hosts or other commentators, depending on the venue. Two floor-box outlets will also allow plug-in microphones and portable podiums at the center or right of the work area. This will allow instructors/presenters to use computer-based data, music or other tools and graphics, as part of programs and classes.
Wesley Reynolds of OPN Architects was a key designer of the amphitheater classroom. He was part of a team that developed the specifications and functions for the room, matching student and teaching needs with the flexibility of a room able to meet multiple needs.
“Several of us went to Chicago to observe a top-level demonstration classroom. This was at a famous culinary school that is known around the world for top-level teaching. As the amphitheater room at Kirkwood came together, we realized it could end up being even better than the space in Chicago. As we have seen it come together we know that’s true. This could be the best culinary demonstration learning space in America. It’s that good,” Reynolds said.
For The Hotel’s professional staff, the new teaching and demonstration space has generated considerable interest even before the building’s opening day. Hotel Director of Sales Jean Rogers already knows the level of “wow factor” inherent in showing the space to visitors and potential clients.
“It’s been pretty eye-catching for our visitors when they see this new room, that’s for sure. We tell everyone that the first and foremost purpose is for teaching and classroom work. With that said, you can see some mental wheels turning when they look at what’s possible here. The potential of this space is just tremendous,” Rogers said.
More information on The Hotel at Kirkwood Center is available on the facility’s website: