Facilities for Student Life
The activities, services, and amenities offered outside the classroom are essential factors of student success. Opportunities for shared experience, community, and leadership development are value-added components of higher education. We hear a lot of buzz about creating signature spaces and campus destinations, and have been working with our clients to program that right mix of spaces and imbue them with school spirit.

To create a sense of place at Rhode Island College for both campus residents and commuters, we proposed, with RGB Architects, modification of the existing student union into a transparent beacon that invites students to explore extracurricular organizations and to socialize in a variety of dining and lounge environments. Read why Student Union Director Kristen Salemi, believed, "Students will be captivated by the presentation once it starts...," or check out a recap of our presentation to the campus community of the study results, or understand why one student feels our proposed plan "is exactly what the student body should call out for." You can also track the project's progress on the college's facebook page.

At Texas Tech University, their student union was so successful, that overcrowding is an issue, especially with future enrollment goals. To increase the variety of meeting rooms, we recommended a new 1,200-seat ballroom that could be easily divided into small spaces for simultaneous programming. Additional dining options included the new "roadhouse", a TTU-style sit-down dining concept where students can also enjoy live music or watch the big game.

We saw a great opportunity in Texas Tech's Dairy Barn, where students once housed their cattle and used the dairy proceeds for tuition payments but which had been sitting vacant since 1964. We suggested adapting the barn into a lively café and event space with flexible, outdoor seating, thus preserving a role for this cherished campus landmark in student life.

At the Association of College Unions International (ACUI) and the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) conferences, we've heard campus administrators call for ways to balance greater demands for space and amenities with limited resources. As presenters, we have shared our expertise on issues such as "The Customized Union for the i-Pod Generation" and "Hard Hats Should Come in Fashion Colors," which empowers union directors with the fundamentals to lead major building projects.

Speaking with future planning and architecture professionals is another way to share our insight and interest when it comes to shaping the built environment. This year ForeSite partners have been invited guest lectures at several institutions including the Texas Tech University College of Architecture at El Paso; The School of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee; Ball State University, College of Architecture and Planning; and the University of Kansas, School of Architecture.