Finegold Alexander to design BU/UMass collaborative student space

Finegold Alexander + Associates Inc. has been awarded the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Amherst Old Chapel renovation and Boston University's (BU) Kilachand Hall improvements study. Both projects focus on the design of cooperative work spaces that encourage students to assemble, interact and collaborate. "In this age of smart phones, tablets and touch screen technology, there is a new need to create spaces that encourage student collaboration and in-person (rather than virtual) contact among students. The goal is to help refocus students on the skills of consensus building and teaming that mirror what they will face in future jobs," said Regan Shields Ives, senior associate at from Finegold Alexander. The Old Chapel at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Campus is a campus icon that has unfortunately stood vacant for the past 15 years. The proposed renovations will turn the historic chapel into a thriving center for student activities and assembly at the heart of the campus. BU has commissioned Finegold Alexander to study and develop plans for future improvements to the spaces within Kilachand Hall. "Both of these projects involve renovating historic buildings to create collaborative and engaging student-centered spaces," said Jim Alexander, principal of Finegold Alexander. "We are finding that students are actively seeking spaces that are flexible, allowing for group collaboration, spontaneous project meetings and presentations, with nooks for quiet study. Students are searching for ways to interact academically that balance the isolation that can result from technology."