We developed a conceptual list of program spaces, based on what was already offered on campus and what was provided at other comparable state universities throughout the country. Our report grouped these spaces by major functions: food services, study spaces, event spaces, wellness, recreation and retail, meeting, student organizations, support spaces, and outdoor spaces, and further defined them with approximate square footage requirements and potential uses for each.

 

Possible site locations were identified, evaluated, and presented to University stakeholders, with consideration being given to factors such as the impact on student life, access to transportation, projected university growth, and community access. Graphic representations delineated the factors considered, and lead to the unanimous selection of one site. A design concept was then created in which the plan form, volume, architecture, and overall shape of the building is captured in spirit and principal aesthetic within its urban context and the real constraints of its site. The resulting vision for this new Student Union is one of transparency, whose openness of façade will become a beacon for campus activities while fitting in with the transitional aesthetic of the campus and its historic and contemporary buildings.