The University held an open forum Wednesday afternoon to hear student input on the proposed Union renovations.
About 20 students showed up at the forum to hear architect Doug Shuck and Union officials discuss plans for the Union.
Ken Bueche, the associate director of the Union, said construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2006.
Bueche said Union officials and architects are trying to nail down final plans after three years of recieving student input and developing proposed sketches for the renovation.
Doug Shuck, an architect with WTW Architects, said designers wanted to develop the Union into an area that creates a circulation of people throughout the building.
“We looked at how the building could be organized, because right now, it is not as organized as it could be,” Shuck said.
Shuck said the current plan provides for developing the first floor into a retail area, along with space for students to do several activities at once, including studying, talking to friends, eating and using computers.
“Students are multi-tasking nowadays, and we want to create opportunites for them to do it all,” Shuck said.
One of the biggest proposed changes is the creation of a Live Oaks Lounge, where students could eat, watch small theater-like performances and watch a big-screen television.
Architects also have plans to make the second floor of the Union into an area that can house conference rooms, a food area and various other activities. Shuck said the current outdoor patio area is not often used because students say it is too hot, but architects are looking at other possibilites for the area. These include creating an entrance or a building addition.
Shuck said the current plans also call for the separation of the Creative Arts Center and the Frame Shop. Both currently are located on the second floor, but the Frame Shop is scheduled to be moved to the first floor.
For the third floor, Shuck said architects plan on making the focus adminstrative offices and spaces for multiple student organizations.
“We think it’s important for many people to get these student organizations together in one location,” Shuck said. “It’s good for synergy between the different organizations.”
However, Shuck said that after further evaluation, designers decided that a fourth floor should be added to the Union to create this synergy between organizations. Shuck said this could also create a stronger activity zone that could be alive in the evening hours.
Shuck said architects have worked to maintain the integrity of the exisiting building.
“The LSU Union is really an icon on this campus,” he said. “You can’t architecturally take this building and just put an addition on in any place.”
In addition, the current designs call for a renovation of the Union Theater, which Shuck called a “great asset” to the University.
Shuck and Union officials also presented their plans at the Student Senate meeting Wednesday night.
At the meeting, Shuck said the designs also call for the addition of three elevators to the Union, near disability-accessible areas.
Senator Michael Busada also asked Shuck about the proposed location of the Student Government offices. SG President Brad Golson has proposed having a space for SG on the first floor of the Union.
Shuck called it a “very reasonable request” and said designers and Union officials plan to look into the matter further.