UM approves $114.5M West Quad renovations, $60M South Quad design

While updating and maintaining student housing is a continual effort for universities, there's nothing ho-hum about the changes coming to the University of Michigan's West and South Quad dormitories. Even as $116 million renovations are underway in East Quad, U-M Regents approved the $114.6 million renovation of West Quad and designs for $60 million South Quad improvements that include big changes to students' dining options. 

 

"Any time we do a renovation," says Director of Communications for U-M Housing Peter Logan, "before we even get to a design, we talk to the students about how we can best use this space."

 

The result of those conversations will be a dramatic change to on-campus dining. Rather than a large, cafeteria-style dining area, South Quad will include several "micro-restaurants" where students will chose from foods appropriate to each micro-restaurant's theme and dine in smaller areas renovated according to that theme. 

 

"This is reflective of what students want in terms of more variety," says Logan. "It's also reflective of trends nationwide to get away from the traditional cafeteria lines." 

 

In conjunction with the creation of this central dining area, the West Quad renovations will include better aligning the entrance to allow more direct access to South Quad. Though West Quad will no longer have a separate dining area, but will instead have better designed community spaces, renovated student rooms and bathrooms, new plumbing, heating, cooling and ventilations systems, among other improvements. 

 

Though the dining area of South Quad may be the most outwardly dramatic renovation, the hall itself will have fewer infrastructure improvements overall. In addition to the central dining area, South Quad will be receiving upgrades to its community spaces and student bathrooms.