Armstrong Atlantic State University officially opened its new Learning Commons on Monday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring school officials, students and the building’s architect and builder.
The $3 million Learning Commons with 14,000 square feet is designed to provide what school officials call “an engaging space that fosters interaction, collaboration, and student success.”
The Learning Commons seats 300 individuals and features two-person consultation rooms, four- and six-person study rooms with video monitors, a 10-person presentation room and an audio/video editing room.
It also includes Wi-Fi access throughout, 50 Mac and PC computers and interactive technology tables, on which students can plug-in their laptops and collectively view one another’s screens.
The building also is in line with the university’s commitment to sustainability and has been designed to LEED Gold standards of the U.S. Green Building Council. The design includes solar power and a live green roof, among other environmentally friendly elements.
The repurposed building was originally the student union and recently housed the information technology department, which has been relocated.
One side was once the campus bookstore, before it moved next door to the new student union constructed in 2010.
