CMU is including innovation center in remodeled dorm

By Emily Shockley Thursday, March 19, 2015

A $5 million remodeling project in one of Colorado Mesa Universitys oldest residence halls will add new suites and apartments to the building, as well as an innovation learning center for students to brainstorm ideas, collaborate across majors and work on making their ideas profitable.

The center, set to be completed with the rest of the remodeled Pinon Hall before school begins in August, may feature moveable white boards and entire walls covered in white board paint for drawing up concepts, advanced technology, conference rooms and open space for students to talk about ideas, equipment for turning concepts into prototypes, and cubicles for students to work on pushing an idea forward. CMU Facilities Director Kent Marsh said faculty members have envisioned students using the center to create applications, build businesses and work on robotics and manufacturing concepts.

Maybe the business student has an idea for a widget that will change the world, but they have no idea how to create the widget. Maybe they get together with an engineering student who draws it in 3-D, prints it on a virtual plotter and says, Is this what you were thinking about? Thats the kind of collaboration were hoping to achieve, Marsh said.

Colorado Mesa President Tim Foster said the university has been considering opening a business incubator-type center for a while. Pinon Hall needed an update for entry-level housing as well as more student gathering space, Foster said.

Theres a huge demand and excitement for this from students, Foster said.

The open-concept center will be on the first floor of Pinons east wing, which faces 12th Street south of Mesa Avenue. The rest of the building will remain designated for student housing. The west wing of the building will have double-occupancy suites while the second floor of Pinons east wing will have apartments. Marsh said it hasnt yet been decided if the third floor of the east wing will have suites or apartments.

CMU Vice President for Student Services John Marshall said the suites will more closely resemble other freshman dormitory rooms on campus rather than Pinons current double-person rooms. Marshall said he hopes the apartments help attract more students above the freshman level to live in Pinon.

The construction end of the project alone accounts for $3.78 million of the total project cost. Marsh said remodeling Pinon is preferable to constructing a new building because it has great bones. But Pinons 48-year-old plumbing, wiring and air conditioning need an upgrade.

Theres all kinds of reasons to get into this building and update it, he said.

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CMU is including innovation center in remodeled dorm