The residence halls and dinning facilities at Iowa State will be undergoing some changes over the summer.

Oak-Elm Halls will receive new paint, carpeting, blinds and parlor furniture before the fall 2008 semester. There will also be new curtains for the wardrobe closets.

“Hallways and stairwells have already been painted, and now we are focusing on student rooms and common areas,” said Luann Huss, program coordinator for the Department of Residence.

68,000 square feet of flooring in Friley Hall will be covered with Forbo Marmoleum, which is made from natural bio-renewable products. The same product is currently used on campus in Hamilton Hall.

Huss said the use of environmentally friendly materials was a product of a request made by president Gregory Geoffroy.

“[The decision was made] per the president’s Energy Conservation and Global Climate initiative,” she said.

In addition to flooring, Friley will also see a host of other changes.

The first of four phases of renovations to the Friley heat and smoke detection system will begin this summer, with each phase taking approximately one summer. When the project is finished, Friley will have a new heat and smoke detection system.

In addition, several Frederiksen Court apartments will receive new soft-leather furniture, carpeting and fresh paint, changes that also took place in various buildings last summer.

Although the new leather furniture will replace the old, the pieces being taken out will not go to waste.

“Furniture that will be taken out of Frederiksen court will first be cleaned and then reused for dens at Oak Elm, Helser and Friley Hall,” Huss said.

Helser Hall will be going through a “life cycle” which consists of student rooms and common areas receiving fresh paint and new carpet.

“Students have been picking out their color schemes and furniture layout throughout the residence halls,” Huss said.

Larch, Willow and Wallace Halls will be receiving projection systems so students can watch movies and play games to help foster a community environment in which students can interact with one another.

There is even more going on, especially at Schilletter Village and University Village. At Schilletter Village, Buildings 54, 56, 57 and 58 will be receiving new siding, windows and interior upgrades; the final phase of replacing boilers with new energy efficient models will be completed, and 70 guest apartments will receive new furniture. New roofs will be installed on Buildings 113, 118, and 122 at University Village, and 30 furnished student apartments will receive new furniture.

The MU Café and Onion’s convenience store will be combined into one unit and reopen as the MU Market & Café w created on May 14 near University Book Store’s north entrance.

The Hub will also open toward the end of July and feature the Hub Grill & Café, along with a Caribou Coffee franchise. ISU Dining will be offer grilled items indoors all year round. The partnership between ISU Dining and Caribou Coffee brings the first Caribou Coffee to Ames and makes it the fifth in Central Iowa.

Maple-Willow-Larch will be closing for renovations May 9. Linden Dining Center will open in August and will stay open until the renovation of Maple-Willow-Larch is complete.