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CUE 2006

The lobby of the Engineering Center was spruced up with new furniture in fall 2005, allowing better use of the area for individual studying and group work by students.

Engineering Lobby gets Needed Makeover as Result of Student Project

Engineering students are enjoying comfortable, new furniture and additional seating capacity in the Engineering Lobby this year, thanks to a hands-on project completed for senior instructor Rolf Norgaard's "Technical Communication and Design" course.

The goal of the spring 2005 course was to encourage students to use critical thinking along with oral and written presentation skills to complete a real life, client-driven design project. Two student teams surveyed engineering students, assessed the lobby needs, and wrote design proposals on the redesign and selection of new furniture.

The college then used the recommendations to purchase an assortment of study tables and chairs, high-back booths, writing easels, café stools and tables, and upholstered chairs. The new, updated lobby was unveiled at the beginning of the fall 2005 semester. Wireless communications were also installed in the Engineering Center, furthering the effectiveness of the lobby as a study place.

"It's a lot more pleasant to look at, and it's nice having so many more tables," CU senior Daynna Rodosovich told a Daily Camera reporter. "It's a much more study-friendly environment."

The upgrade was one of several campus improvements to greet CU-Boulder students last fall. Over the previous year, work crews refurbished 43 entryways to campus buildings, installed new carpet in 93 classrooms and study areas, and upgraded many classrooms with new projectors, chalkboards, chairs, tables, ceiling fans, fixed seating, and wall finishings.