The OSU students and one community member who testified did in incredible job and were very well prepared.  Thank you to one and all who played a role in getting this final stage of approval through.   Thanks also to the standing room only crowd who came out to support the students in their testimony and hear the action of the Commission first hand.  Early work inside the MU begins Spring Break followed by a groundbreaking ceremony in May for the SEC and parking lot removal and excavation the Monday after graduation in June.

OPSIS SEC Presentation: 2012-1217 OSU SEC HRC-Final-edits

OPSIS Canopy Presentation: 2012-1217 OSU Canopy HRC-Final-edits

Student Support Presentation: HRC support

Michael Henthorne, Director

 Extra space will be necessary due to the surety of growth within the Center for Civic Engagement in the coming years. However, this could be overlooked if the idea of construction later is possible, which is unlikely. Instead it was decided to create a versatile work space that could be implemented for collaboration between students and later dedicated to staff member office space.

 Dialogue goes deeper than the space however. Being that it is the furniture that truly gives a room its essence, plans are being made for alternative working environments as opposed to following suit with normal partitions. Committee members were intrigued by the openness of benching which allows for collaborative furniture that infers privacy without extracting connectivity.

 SSI/CCE committee members were presented with many schemes of which each was picked apart to discover the group’s true desires. Now that this information has been fine-tuned Opsis can create a space that pleases all.

 ISOSU and Ed Act added to this conversation by considering aspects of building layout such as the partitions of the Cultural Kitchen. The idea behind it is to have the kitchen as a sort of divider between spaces, so as no one can in essence “own it.”

Thinking about this, a huge issue about privacy is raised, or in that matter confidentiality. Should people be sat next to each other or back to back? There was discussion about the question of five foot partitions which create a sense of privacy versus transparent separators that allow for
connectivity throughout the building.

The same discussions seemed to circulate throughout committees as various groups questioned universal storage, media space, and work stations. Opsis complimented everyone stating that a “great job had been done covering a lot of the questions we have straight out of the gate.”  However many inquiries need to be answeredincluding but not limited to; equipment used, activities performed, linear
space, storage, and counter space needed.

As expected after receiving high marks from the Campus Planning Staff during the design review, the SEC and Plaza were approved by the Campus Planning Committee yesterday.  There were only two minor conditions added for additional ADA parking directly behind the SEC, which were already under discussion between the Office of Equity and Inclusion and Facilities Services.

 Design Development on the SEC continues next Wednesday and the project is now approved so that Opsis can prepare documents for the Historic District Commission’s review this Fall.  With each step, students are a bit closer to their long-held dream of a new facility and improved campus event resources.

 -Michael Henthorne, Director

Campus Planning Committee Notes:

Student Experience Center (SEC) Approval – July 23, 2012

Attendance: 12 committee members and 15 visitors

James Meyers of Opsis Architecture presented a 30 page slide show on the overview of the SEC project

• Project description, location and traffic patterns
• Plaza and Canopy Cover               
• ADA and Bicycle Parking
• Relationship to Historic District
• ADA access to building from all four sides, first floor lobby
• Fire & Safely Vehicle Access
• Roof structure and look

Questions

Canopy Rain Drainage

• Rain water will be collected in a closed system

ADA Parking, Underground

Not considered…. but there are a number of mitigating reasons why it would be extremely expensive to consider:

•  poor soil on the site is prone to liquefaction during an earthquake,
• high water table,
• structural column placement efficient for upper floors is not conducive to efficient parking below
• cost 10 times higher than building a parking structure

ADA Parking, More spots next to the building

• The budget carries a total of 13 ADA parking spots to replace the 5 currently in the parking lot.  At present, the plan shows a number of parking options under consideration.  Four are behind Waldo Hall, two behind the SEC, four are possible at the NE corner of Langton, and three north of the brick mall.   Campus Planning Committee preferred six ADA spots behind the SEC.

What about arched windows to match the Memorial Union?

• Considered was given to not take away from the prominence of the Memorial Union by copying it too much.  The window design currently in the plan is similar to other buildings in the historic district and the surround of the windows is recessed to match the Memorial Union.  

The original design of the lobby had a stairway seating plan.

• That has been removed from the plan

Automobile traffic flow on campus once the SEC opens

• A consulting firm has been hired by OSU to look at overall traffic patterns including cars, bicycles and pedestrians.

Conditional approved was unanimous with two conditions:

• That a minimum of six ADA parking space be worked into the plan directly behind the SEC
• That all ADA parking spaces on the east side of the SEC have direct access to the Jefferson Street entrance of the SEC

New to last week’s meeting was the addition of Michael Fashana, this year’s MU president who will be facilitating/co-chairing the project.

Now that the building is fairly sedate within the historic
district it is time to embrace what’s going on inside with fashionable furniture
that sparks students interests. However, it is important to remain focused on
sustainability, what’s trendy now may be inferior later. Luckily the furniture
industry is one of the most forward thinking, with recyclable, cradle-to-cradle
lifespans (as opposed to cradle-to-grave). Another important aspect of the project
is the protection of the buildings “Northwest” feel. With the warmth of the
building inside paralleled by the sturdy medal outside we are left with a
durable structure.

The four most important aspects of the building are sustainability,
accessibility, diversity and student engagement. As of now accessibility
appears to be the most complicated with a need for absolute decisions to me
made concerning ADA standards. As Eric Alexander stated during a meeting with
Opsis Architects, “The frame that most people operate from when looking at
people with disability is a kind of sliding scale on which the environment
doesn’t need to change the person does. Our universal design is an environment
that anyone can utilize. Most folks get polarized between the two instead of
finding the middle ground, with a slight lean towards the environmental side.”
Neither wing is absolutely perfect so the project needs to be accessible for
people on all ranges.

This move has created an even stronger “Student Experience” in the
building, adding to the one stop resource for all information about various
groups, and social events. The IRC will provide a forum for both foreign and
native students to ask questions, get answers and even complete an occasional Skype
session with loved ones back home.

A decision of this caliber has implications, in this case consuming the
space that was previously being considered as retail. According to Robyn Jones,
Assistant Director of MU Retail Food Service, there were major motives for
terminating the move to the SEC; it is an expensive operation to move, there is
not a big enough population in the SEC to bring revenue, and there wasn’t a
direct door available. Increased revenue will also be sought via the renting of
the multipurpose room (comparable in size to rooms in Dixon) located above the
big “ballroom” and adjacent to Robyn Jones new restaurant.

However, everything about this decision is working out for the better, as
the food cart once considered for the SEC has moved to the glassy part of north
porch area inside of what is now the bookstore. This allows for the use of
direct exposer to the overhead canopy, a high activity area. Furthermore by
staying in the MU East Wing the food cart is able to use the hood from the
cultural kitchen below, thus being able to create more diverse, portable foods.

This decision has tied both buildings together with a stronger link than
previously anticipated by freeing up opportunities to be more diverse and
student focused. As Eric Alexander, Director of Student Leaders and Involvement
stated, “The building [SEC] feels more like the epicenter of student activity
and engagement; It’s not where everything happens(concerts, comedians, cultural
events) but it is how people plan, lead and make that work possible.”

When pitching this $935,000 project, MU President Ashley Barnes and Director Michael Henthorne highlighted the need for various ADA improvements. ADA refers to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 which “guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in employment, public accommodations, transportation, State and local government services, and telecommunications.” For our campus this entails the removal of physical barriers and addition of auxiliary aids and services.

These enhancements though not obvious to all, improve the lives of those with disabilities and are therefore vital to Oregon States dedication to diversity. As Henthorne stated, “We need to (improve the Memorial Union) because it is right, not because we are legally bound.” Planned developments consist of $730,000 in ADA upgrades such as ramp and entryway improvements, and $120,000 towards renovating and enlarging the Journey Room which will continue with its current use. Additionally the space now designated 109 will be transformed into a Kinko-style facility for student utility. Not only are renovation costs the responsibility of OSU Printing and Mailing Center as a tenant fee, but when the space becomes available for service in what looks like 2015, it will generate additional funds for the Memorial Union. Lastly $85,000 will be allocated to the conversion of Student Leadership and Involvement offices into meeting style rooms which will be rented out in an effort to generate revenue therefore off-setting student fees.