Two renovated areas providing increased lounge and study space have opened to students in the Memorial Union this fall, following a series of updates to both the function and aesthetic of the spaces. 

The main lounge on the second floor, which previously housed many office spaces and a post office, has been reworked to provide more study areas for students in a centrally located spot on campus.

The eastern part of the third floor was the other location to see renovations completed for this fall. Before the renovation, this area was used for various offices which now reside on the upper floors, with the renovated area housing student services such as Multicultural Student Affairs and TRIO, a student program.

“We want a place that feels like it’s home,” said Brad Hill, associate director of the Memorial Union.

Ethan Goudschaal, a sophomore in civil engineering, quickly settled into the new second-floor main lounge, one of the areas to have been updated over the summer.

Students feel that this new lounge space is a great step for the Memorial Union. 

“I feel like this is the main building of campus,” Goudschaal said. “And so I feel like it’s important to have these spaces in the building.”

The renovated spaces were chosen after carefully studying the patterns of traffic in the Memorial Union. 

Hill, alongside the rest of the Memorial Union team, noticed certain areas were not being used efficiently due to the age, function and aesthetic of certain rooms.

Working with student organizations, the Memorial Union Advisory Board and student leaders, the consensus was that students wanted a place to relax and study.

“So that’s what we are continuing to look at, is, ‘How can we continue to build this place to be the home where every student can come in, feel at home, feel like they can build their own community?’” Hill said. 

Hill said student involvement was an important aspect of the project, all the way down to the furniture and fabrics. When the advisory board met with the interior designer, “They knew what they wanted,” Hill said. “When we took [the fabrics] to the administration, the administration said, ‘If that’s what the students want, let’s go.’”

The renovations were funded through three main sources: rollover funding from previous Memorial Union projects, funding from the Dean of Students Office and the Memorial Union Capital Projects account. The total cost of these renovations was about $6.3 million.

According to Hill, these remodels have been guided by the vision of Dr. Toyia Younger, senior vice president of student affairs, to centralize the majority of student services in one building.

Alongside the move of several student services to the Memorial Union, new vendors for students are also looking to be brought in. The addition of a credit union and a general retail space is currently in the works as a part of these new student spaces.

Another goal of the remodels is accessibility and inclusivity. 

“I came here because it was the most accessible place,” Goudschaal said.

Lucas George, a senior in agricultural studies, found the renovated spaces drew him in as well. 

“I think it’s a great place,” George said. “It’s open, it has a lot of seating. You don’t have to go all the way to the library.”

As the fourteenth set of renovations to the Memorial Union comes to a close, the build team is still studying and researching where the next project in the building may be.

“We are always trying to ensure we are doing the right thing for the right reasons,” Hill said.

According to Hill, the emphasis of this project was prioritizing student needs and putting students first. As the building approaches its 100-year anniversary, this will continue to be the focus.

“This building was built by you,” Hill said. “It is run by you, and it will always be for the students.”