Summary: Space Utilization Study 2022
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Background
In October 2021, Wake Forest University initiated the Space Utilization Study to understand current and future space needs on the Reynolda Campus as well as the capacity of peripheral campus properties to meet future needs. The University partnered with SmithGroup, a national planning and design firm, for the study.
The Space Utilization Study had four primary goals:
- Address the need for additional instructional space, academic offices, community, and support service space on the Reynolda Campus.
- Identify potential academic and/or administrative uses of University-owned commercial properties located in close proximity to the campus.
- Assess recently acquired real estate adjacent to the campus for potential academic, administrative, student organization, and recreation uses.
- Assess the future need of space currently under lease to the University for various academic programs.
Process
SmithGroup used facilities, course scheduling, staffing, and enrollment data to complete the analysis. In addition to these key data sets, other information was collected related to research, scholarly, and creative activity, library collections, and study space. The compilation of the data provided a snapshot of activities for Fall 2021, which was used as the baseline for the analysis. This data collection represented one important set of inputs for informing the development of the University’s space needs.
SmithGroup engaged with academic, administrative, and student life leadership through a series of listening sessions and open forums. Discussions focused on current and future academic program opportunities, immediate needs, and the lessons learned from the pandemic and its long-term implications to institutional operations. The following common threads emerged:
- Radically collaborative. Radically inclusive.
- Sense of place is important. Need to extend beyond Reynolda Campus core.
- Perspective of importance of physical adjacency to leadership needs to be broken.
- Break the “we’ve always done it this way” mentality.
- Change will be a challenge. Need to acknowledge change will support the academic mission.
- Stress of enrollment increase with little net new space.
- University priorities should inform space planning decisions.
- Technology and space in some learning environments hinders being nimble.
- Students, faculty, and staff were given the opportunity to participate in a survey
ASF = Assignable Square Feet
to understand their perceptions of and experiences with Reynolda Campus spaces (2000+ respondents). The survey reinforced the analytical outcomes of instructional space use being concentrated in the core of campus while highlighting preferred attributes, which can inform future upfits. Likewise, the survey confirmed the importance and use of outdoor spaces near Wait Chapel and Hearn Plaza. For example, the outdoor tents used primarily during the pandemic were very popular with students. The survey unearthed other nuances such as the fact that some faculty have not had opportunities to teach in some of the more modern classrooms on campus. This finding, aligned with a more centralized instructional space scheduling practice, identified the need to provide access to more faculty.
Quantitative needs were aligned with existing campus space and requirements for additional space were identified. The study took into consideration the space the University has currently and how it is being used while addressing projected enrollment scenarios, increased instructional space utilization expectations, and sensitivities to modified workplace arrangements for some administrative staff.
Existing Space Allocation
| Category | Assignable Square Feet | Percent of Total ASF |
|---|---|---|
| Academic Offices | 251,854 | 21 |
| Administrative Offices | 171,469 | 14 |
| Classrooms | 142,114 | 12 |
| Student-Centered Space | 122,743 | 10 |
| Recreation | 93,027 | 8 |
| Assembly & Exhibit | 92,441 | 8 |
| Library Space | 89,957 | 7 |
| Research & Scholarly Inquiry Space | 59,658 | 5 |
| Teaching Labs | 42,146 | 3 |
| School of Law Library | 34,510 | 3 |
| Physical Plant | 32,531 | 3 |
| Misc. Space | 28,288 | 2 |
| Open Lab | 18,318 | 2 |
| Meeting Space | 16,956 | 1 |
| Collab. Learning Space | 15,498 | 1 |
| Healthcare Space | 5,467 | 0 |
Findings Summary
A space optimization model was developed using Fall 2021 to guide recommendations.
Overall, existing Reynolda Campus square footage, when optimized, supports
current enrollment and growth scenarios. However, the surpluses identified in some cases are not easily repurposed to meet current or future needs.
Additionally, quality and configuration of space should be considerations in space optimization. Right-sizing existing space will be necessary to satisfy perceived and real space deficiencies.
| Space Category | Projected Existing ASF | Guideline ASF | Surplus / (Deficit) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACADEMIC SPACE | |||
| Classrooms | 142,114 | 97,728 | 44,385 |
| Teaching Laboratories | 42,146 | 34,788 | 7,358 |
| Open Laboratories | 18,318 | 22,208 | (3,890) |
| Research & Scholarly Inquiry Space | 59,658 | 86,640 | (26,982) |
| Academic Space Subtotal | 262,235 | 241,364 | 20,871 |
| ACADEMIC SUPPORT SPACE | |||
| Academic Offices | 251,854 | 224,940 | 26,914 |
| Administrative Offices | 213,376 | 148,620 | 64,756 |
| Library Space | 89,957 | 121,178 | (31,222) |
| Collaborative Learning Space | 18,740 | 25,309 | (6,569) |
| School of Law Library | 34,510 | 34,510 | 0 |
| Meeting Space | 16,956 | 19,814 | (2,858) |
| Academic Support Space Subtotal | 625,393 | 574,371 | 51,022 |
| STUDENT SPACE | |||
| Recreation | 93,027 | 108,751 | (15,724) |
| Student-Centered Space | 123,199 | 111,041 | 12,157 |
| Healthcare Space | 5,584 | 3,849 | 1,736 |
| Student Space Subtotal | 221,810 | 223,641 | (1,831) |
| OTHER SPACE | |||
| Assembly & Exhibit | 92,441 | 79,271 | 13,170 |
| Physical Plant | 32,531 | 67,523 | (34,992) |
| Miscellaneous Space | 27,288 | 29,611 | (2,323) |
| Other Space Subtotal | 152,260 | 176,405 | (24,145) |
| CAMPUS TOTAL | 1,262,698 | 1,215,781 | 45,917 |
| Athletics | 265,486 | ||
| Residence Life | 821,160 | ||
| Unassigned Space | 6,276 | ||
| Outside Organizations | 496,952 |
Recommendations
The analysis indicated the Manchester Plaza academic precinct was crowded and lacked faculty office space, dining facilities, and study space. Long-term space strategy includes defining the highest and best use of the three University-owned properties adjacent to the Reynolda Campus to help alleviate space deficits at the campus core.
The following recommendations were made to optimize existing space and provide a process for future decision-making:
- Expand the University’s conceptualization of its academic core on Reynolda Campus to include North Campus Dining and adjacent underutilized buildings.
- Invest in the continued renewal of the Reynolda Campus academic core, buildings surrounding Manchester Plaza, Hearn Plaza, to maximize effective use of space to support the academic mission.
- Repurpose of the University owned properties located in close proximity to the Reynolda campus.
- Develop a strategy for co-locating non-student facing administrative, academic and support services to support renewal efforts in the campus core.
- Strengthen centralized scheduling of classrooms via the Office of the Registrar.
- Establish a University-wide space governance structure and space management program housed within Facilities & Campus Services.
Space Management
With oversight from the University Space Planning Group (USPG), the space management program will provide a framework in which opportunities and needs are integrated with other institutional planning efforts. The space management program will:
- Provide framework in which opportunities and needs are integrated into future institutional planning efforts.
- Allow for data-informed decision-making within a transparent, visible structure.