Minnesota State University, Mankato
Mankato, MN | Education
Overview
ISG designed a massive renovation and addition to its student union and developed a campus master plan to make Minnesota State University, Mankato (MSU), a more attractive destination for current and prospective students.
Opportunity
As a growing university looking to enhance the student experience, MSU, required a renovation of its central campus hub and an overall campus plan to prepare future improvements.
Solution
ISG has collaborated with MSU on dozens of projects. Two projects of note include a renovation and addition to the Centennial Student Union and a campus master plan, each listed below.
Centennial Student Union
ISG worked with MSU to expand and renovate the Centennial Student Union. To improve this facility as a student gateway on campus, ISG designed an overhaul and renovation of more than one-third of the 150,000 sq. ft. facility and an 8,200 sq. ft. addition featuring an 80-foot glass curtain wall and a two-story glass-enclosed student lounge. Major updates to the kitchen and dining areas accommodate larger capacities and feature a food court with seven vendors offering students a wide variety of food options. This massive project also included a remodeled and refinished game room, taking a dated basement with water and ventilation problems into an ADA-accessible space with a gaming area, billiards, table tennis, bowling lanes, and a stylish lounge with comfortable seating.
Campus Master Plan
To improve the campus and accommodate future growth, ISG developed a campus master plan for MSU focused on identifying land use precincts and building zones, redesigning gateways and arrival areas, improving vehicular circulation and parking, and better defining open space and streetscapes. ISG worked in collaboration with multiple MSU representatives including administration, department heads, students groups, facilities personnel, and community members to develop a vision for the campus in 5 and 20 years.
The campus master plan included some of the following recommendations:
- Relocating and expanding academic functions to newly expanded precincts in the campus core
- Redeveloping existing residence halls
- Renovating buildings for support and conference facilities
- Identifying potential parking areas
- Developing campus gateways that visually define the primary entry points at the campus perimeter
- Renovating the existing campus pedestrian mall and adding another
- Developing student housing
- Enhancing quality of the campus streetscape