A new dining commons is coming to the University of Houston soon, and students are helping shape its design from the ground up.
Before designs are finalized, Auxiliary Services hosted a pop-up student engagement session in Student Center South to gather input on what students want in the new space. More than 100 students participated in the interactive session led by Shepley Bulfinch, the design firm selected for the project.
“We really want to make sure that what we’re doing in the dining program aligns with what our students want to see,” said DaNesha Allen, Senior Director of Auxiliary Services. “And also cultivate spaces that will help our students to be successful.”
Poster boards lined the engagement area, each focused on a different theme — seating
preferences, lighting and views, campus life and dining, and sustainability and resilience.
Students responded to questions like:
- Do you prefer larger tables for meeting new people or smaller tables for your group?
- Do you enjoy natural daylight from windows or the glow of indoor lighting?
- Do you have a meal plan? If not, what would motivate you to get one?
Participants placed Post-it notes with their feedback directly on the boards. In addition, Shepley Bulfinch introduced “Image Olympics,” a visual activity where students used colored dot stickers to indicate what they liked or disliked about various dining hall images and amenities.
“It’s important that we understand who students are, where they spend time on campus, and what they like about those spaces,” said Amanda Vigneau, Director at Shepley Bulfinch.
The interactive format not only drew in passersby but also allowed the design team to ask follow-up questions, gathering deeper insights.
“It’s a better way to get more qualitative and quantitative information,” said Vigneau.
Freshman mechanical engineering major Tristan Manapsal was among the 100 who shared
feedback.
“I’ll be using the campus a lot over the next four years, so it’s important to have
a say,” said Manapsal.
Junior finance major Blanche Ngoy also appreciated the opportunity.
“They really asked for our opinions, from the mood we wanted in the dining hall, to the type of food, how it should be displayed, the tables, really everything,” she said. “Instead of making the decision themselves, they genuinely wanted a student’s perspective.”
Ngoy suggested incorporating natural light and comfortable seating, features she hopes
will be part of the final design.
“All the students that participated really get to say, ‘Hey, I have a buy-in here.
I had a hand in sharing my thoughts and feedback,’” said Allen. “They’ll be able to
see the building come to fruition and feel like they helped personally cultivate that
space.”
Shepley Bulfinch will compile all the feedback into a report that Auxiliary Services will use to guide the design and development of the new facility.