The 338,000-square-foot Coffman Memorial Union, completed in 1939, opened to rave reviews for its elegant Steamship Modern character. Many original features were lost during a renovation in the mid-1970s. The goal of this second renovation was to restore much of the original character of the 1939 building while meeting the needs of 21th century students. The renovation focused on the re-establishment of Coffman Union as an active student building – a gathering place. The project renovated 256,000 square feet of base building; 14,000 square feet of food service; 22,000 square feet of Campus Club; and added a 46,000-square-foot bookstore.
Key project team members included Ellerbe Becket (architect/interior designer), Ryan Companies US, Inc. (design/builder), Meyer Borgman & Johnson (structural engineer) Hunt Electric (electrical engineer), Horwitz, Inc. and Master Mechanical (mechanical engineers). Also integral to the design process were the more than 5,000 University of Minnesota students that participated throughout the course of the project.
Users have given the renovated Coffman high marks: 86% of students surveyed rated Coffman ‘effective’ in serving the needs of the campus community. In 1998, Coffman provided only three of the top ten facilities/services that students wanted in their student union. It now meets all of those needs. Traffic studies have shown that 15,000 visitors per day use Coffman and its services. That number jumps to 36,000 during the first week of each semester (attributable to visits to the new central University bookstore).
“While our campus has recognized the positive difference the Coffman Memorial Union improvements made to the University community, it is heartening to know that ACUI as an association has chosen our project as among the first to receive a Facility Design Award,” said Maggie Towle, director, Twin Cities Student Unions. “This public recognition is gratifying after the years of hard work Ellerbe Becket, Ryan Companies and my staff gave to achieve the resulting outstanding facility.”
The Association of College Unions International (ACUI) represents college union and student activities professionals. Two of ACUI’s functions are to facilitate the exchange of ideas among all its members and to advocate the important roles college unions and student activities have in higher education.
An innovator since its founding in 1909, Ellerbe Becket is a leader in architecture, interior design, engineering and the construction industry, with offices worldwide.
Contact: news@ellerbebecket.com
