Campus Center Design Trends

By: Sarah

May 27, 2025

Student Center Design Should Attract and Retain Students:

Student Centers are the hub of a college campus and can be an easy way to not only attract but retain students. Students use these buildings for socializing, studying, and getting resources they may need. Did you know that according to an EAB Facilities Forum study, campus environment is the number one reason students choose one institution over another? It makes sense that many colleges and universities across the country are pumping more and more resources into making these centers the best they can be.

We want to help you design a space that is innovative, reflects the mission of your school, and will stand up to change and adapt with your campus well into the future. This blog post touches upon a few ways that campuses are refreshing their student centers.

Create Meeting Spaces Anytime, Anywhere:

High Density Mobile Shelving has helped many campuses maximize their storage in a variety of different areas. From collections storage in the library to athletic equipment storage, we have designed any and all spaces across the campus. Mobile Shelving allows you to move shelving back and forth, eliminating the need for extra space in between aisles. In most circumstances implementing this type of storage can double your storage capacity within the same footprint.

In addition to typical Mobile Shelving we have also applied the High Density concept to a variety of other solutions, one being the Mobile Wall. These walls can help create extra space when needed or can help section off an area for a private meeting. These days, many students find themselves in need of both group settings and private settings for studying and meetings, and these walls allow for both.

Provide Personal Touches, and Personal Storage:

In some instances, personal storage is one of the first things to be disregarded when it comes to space planning. However, many students use the student center as a sort of home away from home when they can’t make it to their actual residences in between classes. Offering Day-Use Lockers is a great way to provide students with a convenient spot to drop gym bags, books, a change of clothes for an event, or even to charge a laptop while they run to get lunch. Adding small areas liked the one below within the day-use lockers where students can rest or relax with a pillow is another way to make these buildings feel more inviting to students. Designed to complement the ambiance of your space, Day-Use Lockers can be integrated into a wall, used as a stand-alone wall partition, or even implemented as a storage island with a workspace on top.

Know the Trends and the Work Style Preferences of Your Campus:

Like many modern offices, campuses are beginning to offer a wider variety of work environments to accommodate different preferences and work types. While collaborative environments have become increasingly popular in student center design, it’s still important to include plenty of quiet personal study space. Offering a variety of nooks where students can relax, group meeting areas, digital labs, quiet study spaces, and maybe even cafe, will go a long way in pleasing all of the campus community.

Technology:

Technology is an important consideration for these areas, but be sure you can easily swap out any equipment as technology evolves over time. Consider adding a digital lab for students to use when they are in the campus center, and maybe an area where people can easily come to print things. Whiteboards are another great thing to implement for both professor and student use.