A new dining commons is coming to the 91视频 soon, and students are helping shape its design from the ground up.
Before designs are finalized, Auxiliary Services hosted a pop-up student engagement session in Student Center South to gather input on what students want in the new space. More than 100 students participated in the interactive session led by Shepley Bulfinch, the design firm selected for the project.
鈥淲e really want to make sure that what we鈥檙e doing in the dining program aligns with what our students want to see,鈥� said DaNesha Allen, Senior Director of Auxiliary Services. 鈥淎nd also cultivate spaces that will help our students to be successful.鈥�
Poster boards lined the engagement area, each focused on a different theme 鈥� seating
preferences, lighting and views, campus life and dining, and sustainability and resilience.
Students responded to questions like:
- Do you prefer larger tables for meeting new people or smaller tables for your group?
- Do you enjoy natural daylight from windows or the glow of indoor lighting?
- Do you have a meal plan? If not, what would motivate you to get one?
Participants placed Post-it notes with their feedback directly on the boards. In addition, Shepley Bulfinch introduced 鈥淚mage Olympics,鈥� a visual activity where students used colored dot stickers to indicate what they liked or disliked about various dining hall images and amenities.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important that we understand who students are, where they spend time on campus, and what they like about those spaces,鈥� said Amanda Vigneau, Director at Shepley Bulfinch.
The interactive format not only drew in passersby but also allowed the design team to ask follow-up questions, gathering deeper insights.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a better way to get more qualitative and quantitative information,鈥� said Vigneau.
Freshman mechanical engineering major Tristan Manapsal was among the 100 who shared
feedback.
鈥淚鈥檒l be using the campus a lot over the next four years, so it鈥檚 important to have
a say,鈥� said Manapsal.
Junior finance major Blanche Ngoy also appreciated the opportunity.
鈥淭hey really asked for our opinions, from the mood we wanted in the dining hall, to the type of food, how it should be displayed, the tables, really everything,鈥� she said. 鈥淚nstead of making the decision themselves, they genuinely wanted a student鈥檚 perspective.鈥�
Ngoy suggested incorporating natural light and comfortable seating, features she hopes
will be part of the final design.
鈥淎ll the students that participated really get to say, 鈥楬ey, I have a buy-in here.
I had a hand in sharing my thoughts and feedback,鈥欌�� said Allen. 鈥淭hey鈥檒l be able to
see the building come to fruition and feel like they helped personally cultivate that
space.鈥�
Shepley Bulfinch will compile all the feedback into a report that Auxiliary Services will use to guide the design and development of the new facility.