Oct 15, 2019 _ news

Miami University Invests in Shared Spaces

Miami University was recently in the news for the multimillion dollar investment it’s making to update its residence halls. As part of the University’s campus master plan, several renovations have been announced, but only one is currently underway – Stanton Hall.

After breaking ground in May of this year, GBBN is working with Miami University and Messer Construction on the renovation of Stanton Hall. In addition to upgrading the building’s systems and making it more accessible, the renovation will reconfigure the types of spaces available to students. “Programmatically,” says Interim Director of Planning, Robert Bell, “we’re getting more study areas distributed throughout the residence halls, and (we’re) bringing some of the living and recreation functions up from the basement to the first-floor levels.”

The renovation of Stanton Hall opens up space for a larger variety of shared amenities – including a makerspace. “That’s important,” says GBBN Associate Principal, Zachary Zettler, “because when common spaces support different kinds of activities, they provide students with a variety of ways to engage their peers, helping them develop connections and feel at home on campus.”

Read more about Miami’s plans here.

Interested in higher education? Read about how our design of University of Cincinnati’s Marian Spencer Hall and our transformation of University of Pittsburgh’s Hillman Library set students up for success by helping them find their niche on campus.