Creating Collaborative Spaces

Collaborative workspaces are not just a trend in corporate office spaces. Universities are also investing in renovating their campuses to create more collaborative work areas for their students. Designers are looking at how they can create more functional spaces outside the four walls of the classrooms such as outdoor areas, entryways, staircases as well as rooftops. These changes are not only to enhance the student’s experience, but also to prepare them for the collaborative work environments they will encounter post-graduation.

The University of Michigan is just one of many universities that has invested in renovating their campus in hopes of enhancing the student experience while sparking more learning and growth opportunities. The renovation of the Michigan Student Union and the Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) buildings are two projects Ideal has been awarded by Walbridge to self-perform the steel erection. The renovations will create flexible and accessible spaces that will allow students to engage one another outside the classroom.

The Literature, Science and the Arts first floor renovation and addition project is just one of many taking place on University of Michigan’s campus. This project will revitalize approximately 24,000 SF of the first floor and add an approximately 21,000 SF addition to the LSA building to house the LSA Opportunity Hub, classrooms, and meeting space for students. “The LSA Opportunity Hub is an initiative dedicated to encouraging liberal arts students to explore and connect their education to their aspirations and goals,” according to The University Record.
As part of this high-profile project, Ideal self-performed the structural steel for the LSA addition. The scope of work included the erection of 360 tons of structural steel in a tight footprint.