Experts from design/planning firm Gresham, Smith and Partners recently posted an intriguing series of blogs about college-age Millennials. Here’s a summary of what Randall Gibson, PE; Mary Couch, NCIDQ, IIDA, LEED AP BD+C; and Brandon Bell had to say about “The New Student”:
LEARN: Colleges and universities have to provide “adaptability, inspiration, and seamless incorporation of technology” throughout the campus. Ergonomic chairs, mobile seating, high-tech A/V equipment, and virtual learning rooms, all enhanced by vibrant colors, are essential. The library must be a “beacon of connectivity,” offering a variety of spaces for small-group study sessions, large-group meetings and events, and one-on-one tutoring. Floor plans should feel open, spacious, easy to maneuver.
“The New Student”
GS&P delved into where Millennials learn, live, shop, and dine.
LIVE: Off-campus housing, such as the GS&P-designed University House at UNC-Charlotte, must rival luxury housing. Fitness rooms, game rooms, study rooms, gourmet kitchens, computer labs, gaming stations, even tanning rooms, have become givens. So are omnipresent WiFi, flat-screen TVs, high-tech computer stations, and conferencing capability. Seating options in break rooms, kitchens, and study rooms should encourage impromptu conversation and interaction.
SHOP: College Millennials gravitate toward mixed-use retail—everything from “sleek and high-tech to vintage,” say the GS&P bloggers. It’s got to be walkable, bikable, or transit accessible. Self-check-out kiosks, free WiFi, and even “flattering lighting” are de rigueur.
Rand Hall. Photo: Bob Schatz. Click to enlarge.
Related Stories
Higher Education | Sep 18, 2024
Modernizing dental schools: The intersection of design and education
Page's John Smith and Jennifer Amster share the how firm's approach to dental education facilities builds on the success of evidence-based design techniques pioneered in the healthcare built environment.
Libraries | Sep 12, 2024
How space supports programming changes at university libraries
GBBN Associate Sarah Kusuma Rubritz, AIA, uses the University of Pittsburgh's Hillman Library to showcase how libraries are transforming to support students’ needs.
University Buildings | Sep 4, 2024
UC San Diego’s new Multidisciplinary Life Sciences Building will support research and teaching in both health and biological sciences
The University of California San Diego has approved plans for a new Multidisciplinary Life Sciences Building, with construction starting this fall. The 200,000-sf, six-level facility will be the first building on the UC San Diego campus to bridge health science research with biological science research and teaching.
University Buildings | Aug 12, 2024
Planning for growing computer science programs
Driven by emerging AI developments and digital transformation in the business world, university computer science programs are projected to grow by nearly 15% by 2030.
Education Facilities | Aug 4, 2024
A former supersonic wind tunnel becomes a new educational facility for transportation design
The Mullin Transportation Design Center at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, Calif., provides access for full-scale vehicular models, replicating a professional design studio.
University Buildings | Aug 1, 2024
UC Riverside’s student health center provides an environment on par with major medical centers
The University of California, Riverside's new Student Health and Counseling Center (SHCC) provides a holistic approach to wellness for students throughout the UC Riverside campus. Designed by HGA and delivered through a design-build partnership with Turner Construction Company, SHCC provides healthcare offerings in an environment on par with major medical centers.
Student Housing | Jul 31, 2024
The University of Michigan addresses a decades-long student housing shortage with a new housing-dining facility
The University of Michigan has faced a decades-long shortage of on-campus student housing. In a couple of years, the situation should significantly improve with the addition of a new residential community on Central Campus in Ann Arbor, Mich. The University of Michigan has engaged American Campus Communities in a public-private partnership to lead the development of the environmentally sustainable living-learning student community.
Adaptive Reuse | Jul 30, 2024
Empty mall to be converted to UCLA Research Park
UCLA recently acquired a former mall that it will convert into the UCLA Research Park that will house the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy at UCLA and the UCLA Center for Quantum Science and Engineering, as well as programs across other disciplines. The 700,000-sf property, formerly the Westside Pavilion shopping mall, is two miles from the university’s main Westwood campus. Google, which previously leased part of the property, helped enable and support UCLA’s acquisition.
Smart Buildings | Jul 25, 2024
A Swiss startup devises an intelligent photovoltaic façade that tracks and moves with the sun
Zurich Soft Robotics says Solskin can reduce building energy consumption by up to 80% while producing up to 40% more electricity than comparable façade systems.
Great Solutions | Jul 23, 2024
41 Great Solutions for architects, engineers, and contractors
AI ChatBots, ambient computing, floating MRIs, low-carbon cement, sunshine on demand, next-generation top-down construction. These and 35 other innovations make up our 2024 Great Solutions Report, which highlights fresh ideas and innovations from leading architecture, engineering, and construction firms.
