Oct. 20, 2021

This paid piece is sponsored by Interstate Office Products.

Think of it like the SDSU campus living room. The University Student Union has served as a hub of student activity for years – and that was starting to show.

“Our student body had indicated several years ago their interest in supporting some needed updates to the facility,” said Jennifer Novotny, senior director for the University Student Union.

That took the form of a complex, multiyear project that started a few years ago, as Interstate Office Products began working with SDSU and Architecture Incorporated on the first of several renovations for the three-story Union, which was built in the early 1970s and expanded and updated multiple times in the following decades.

“Most of the furniture was very dated and a mixture of vintages throughout the space,” said Teena Hogan, who served as IOP’s designer on the project along with Abby Tufvesson.

The first phase, which was completed in late 2019, included updates to the Crazy Horse Lounge and the Office of Multicultural Affairs and set the stage for a larger update that just finished up.

“Our facility sees higher traffic than most on campus, with roughly 9,500 students visiting daily, so the finishes we select have to be resilient and perform under pressure,” Novotny said.

Some of the furniture dated back to the 1990s, added project manager and engineer Keith Skogstad.

“And that had actually held up better than tables, chairs and booths we had purchased in the early 2000s,” he said. “They were breaking apart, the laminate was falling apart, and the bases were wobbly. Some booths installed in 2004 had held up fairly decent, but the seats had rips and tears, so we needed to replace the fabric.”

Furniture in the Union also needs to be moved multiple times daily in some cases to reset for room reservations.

“Finally, and most importantly, it was critical that students, who fund this project through their general activities fees, would have a direct hand in selecting our finishes,” Novotny said. “We took studying, socializing, dining and duration of stay into account when we reviewed the design of the spaces and the selection of furniture.”

For Hogan and Tufvesson, guiding the project took them back to their own college days. Both are graduates of SDSU’s interior design program.

“When I was there, the Union was just a place to go and eat,” Hogan said. “It wasn’t like it is now where they eat and study and socialize. There might have been a few lounge pieces upstairs, but it wasn’t a place you went and hung out.”

For Tufvesson, who graduated in 2016, “we used the meeting rooms for student organizations and events, and the different nooks and lounges were used for studying, especially with students you didn’t know as well who were in your classes. You’d go meet them at the Union,” she said.

“Because we did go to school there, we knew exactly what it looked like before and where we would gravitate as students, and we’re super proud of the changes we helped them make.”

SDSU staff visited the IOP showroom, and any pieces they liked were brought to campus.

“They came to our showroom first, and any furniture pieces they liked and thought they might want to use, we brought to campus,” Tufvesson said. “They allowed some staff and students to try them out and give feedback before we did any planning layouts, so they really tested them in the space.”

IOP offers a “really phenomenal team of professionals,” Novotny added. “They take the time to know the space better before pitching design options – and they move forward swiftly with customer feedback and tweak designs for the best possible outcome.”

The second renovation phase included multiple areas, starting with the Marketplace – the core dining area for the university.

Here’s a look at the “before-and-after” appearance:

“They wanted to keep the same amount of seating they had before but do a mix of tables, booths and soft seating,” Hogan said.

“We utilized square tables they could push together to make bigger or smaller groupings, as well as a mixture of high and low tables to give students a variety of postures to choose from.”

On the second floor, multiple lounges and an alcove overlook the Marketplace.

“In the Gallery Lounge, we played with the space using modular lounge pieces, so they can connect if people put them together as needed,” Tufvesson said. “And we strategically brought in movable power hubs, so they can move that resource where people are sitting.”

Durability was emphasized throughout the renovation, those involved added.

“The furniture in the lounge areas is very nice. There’s a mix of short and tall and screens that were added, and the furniture we added a few years ago is holding up well,” Skogstad said. “And as we’ve gone through the space, we’ve continued to ask students for feedback and had very positive response.”

Other spaces improved recently include the first-floor Hobo Day, Campanile and Jackrabbit rooms, which are used for meetings and events.

“In the Hobo Day room, we went with furniture that has its own unique vibe that’s a little more traditional and upscale to keep the Hobo Day theme,” Tufvesson said.

In the Campanile room, “they reused the existing tables, which are still in good shape, but we added new chairs there, which gave it a fresh look,” Hogan said.

And in the Jackrabbit meeting space, “we did some flip and nest tables that can be pushed off to the side when they need the room open or can be pushed all together in a great big table just to give the room some flexibility,” Tufvesson said.

Installation went smoothly too, Skogstad said.

“I was very happy with the delivery process, especially because of the delays related to COVID. Interstate did a good job working through that, and the installation crews did a great job getting everything unboxed and even getting rid of cardboard, so I was very pleased,” he said.

“Teena, Abby, the installers and even two office members came on a day when other installers were busy, and the office staff started rearranging the furniture for us. I was impressed with that. As a staff member at the Union, I would step in and do a setup too, so I appreciate what they did because I did it.”

Now that students are actively using the space, it has proven to be a success, SDSU staff said.

“We are really proud of the outcome of this project. Students and the campus community are using these spaces with great enthusiasm and satisfaction,” Novotny said. “It’s been an excellent example of teams from different fields coming together to make something exceptional happen.”

Ready to work with Interstate Office Products to reimagine your organization’s next space? Call 605-339-0330 or visit i-o-p.com.