PITTSBURGH - Architect Paul Knell always wanted to design public buildings. He fulfilled his dream by spending 25 years designing college student centers, and now he's set to publish a book on the topic.

His penchant for student centers began when he helped renovate the University of Pittsburgh's William Pitt Union.

"Once I did one of these college projects, I really fell in love," he said. "Universities tend to design for 50 years into the future. It's a nice commitment to architecture they make."

A senior principal at Pittsburgh-based WTW Architects, Knell co-authored a book with Stan Latta, director of unions and student activities at Penn State, to be published next month.

They hope "College Union Dynamic - Flexible Solutions for Successful Facilities," will be a handbook for colleges considering expanding or building new student centers.

"Architects can build a great facility, but if doesn't meet your needs and serve your customers, what good is the facility? Latta said. "What Paul and I tried to do is anticipate what some good questions you need to ask so you get a product that meets your needs."

The book urges university administrators to make sure new buildings can easily adapt to technological advances and varying needs, Knell said.

"One of the things we find when we go into old buildings is they might have worked 50 years ago," he said. "A lot of the book is about planning buildings today that will be flexible 50 years from now."

Knell and Latta met when WTW was hired in 1997 to renovate and expand Penn State's student union.

A dated, dark and small building transformed into a 242,000-square-foot campus hub, Latta said.

"People were surprised how open, airy, well-lit and friendly this facility had become," he said.

Knell "didn't use a cookie-cutter approach," Latta said. "He listened to what our needs were, what some of our challenges were."

Student input is also important, Knell said.

"They feel they've participated and this is their building," he said. "When you're out of class and want a place to be with your friends, buy something, have a meeting. That's what the student center is all about - a community gathering place."

Knell views student centers as small cities with entertainment districts, restaurants, shopping areas and main thoroughfares. More than half the 65 or so student centers WTW has designed have multi-use theaters for movies, concerts, debates and other performances.

"It's a real dynamic facility and that's what makes it so intriguing," he said.

WTW's list of college clients include Michigan State; Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa; the University of Vermont; Drury University in Springfield, Mo.; Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.; and DePaul University in Lincoln Park, Ill.

The University of Vermont hired Knell's firm because the existing student center outlived its purpose, said Bob Vaughan, the university's director of capital planning and management.

WTW designed a $70 million, 220,000-square-foot, brick and slate roof facility. Construction on the first phase will begin next month.

"It really answered what everyone wanted to see," Vaughan said. "We needed something to step up to the 21st century."