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Hinderlie Hall latest to see improvements
August 05, 2008
When students walk into Hinderlie Hall this fall, the first thing they will notice is the new location of the front desk.
Hinderlie’s front desk served as a gathering space for residents. While it was great for hall unity, it sometimes created an issue for desk workers trying to keep track of who was entering and leaving the building, explained Stephanie Serventi, operations manager for residential life.
When the residence hall was identified as next on the list to be remodeled, residential life saw a perfect opportunity to reconfigure the hall’s entrance. The front desk was moved to the other side of the entryway and now connects to the mailroom. Its former location will be filled with couches and chairs, thus retaining the space’s function as a gathering spot while improving safety and security.
Pease Construction began work on the three-story building May 27 and will be finished by the end of August. The residence hall is the fourth hall in as many summers to be remodeled. Foss was remodeled in 2005, Pflueger in 2006 and Tingelstad last year.
“The remodels enhance a student’s overall living and learning experience,” Serventi said.
Hinderlie’s remodel signals two firsts for PLU: the bathrooms will have heated floors and all the resident rooms and common areas will have wireless Internet.
By expanding the bathrooms to maximum capacity, there was room for plumbing fixtures in the walls but not a heating system, explained John Kaniss, construction projects manager. To heat the space, the university opted to install radiant floor heating.
The heating system is made up of a series of thin, plastic tubes placed underneath the tiled floor. Hot water is pumped through the tubes, heating the space evenly from the ground up. The system is more energy-efficient, Kaniss said.
Energy efficiency will also be improved by removing the bathroom windows. In the old Hinderlie bathrooms, heating units were located directly beneath windows, but the windows were regularly left open to vent the steam created by showers.
“We were heating the outside,” he said with a laugh.
“We’re trying to incorporate new energy-efficient practices into all that we do at PLU,” he continued. “We’re aware of the cutting-edge products that make the interior environment better for the students.”
Improving the wireless network is a campus-wide initiative. While most residence halls have wireless Internet access in the common areas, Hinderlie will be the first with wireless access throughout the building – even in individual rooms.
Other improvements include replacing the roof with a new, pitched roof, gutters and downspouts. The common areas and lounges received new paint, carpeting and furniture, and resident rooms have new mattresses.
While residential life hasn’t collected any official data on student satisfaction with the hall remodels, Serventi said that, at least anecdotally, the feedback has been positive.
“We’ve heard that people like the renovations and are more likely to stay living on campus,” she said.
Follow the progress of the Hinderlie renovation by becoming a fan of the Facebook group, “Hinderlie Renovations.” Registration is required to join Facebook.
University Communications staff writer Megan (Haley) Anderson compiled this report. Comments, questions, ideas? Please contact her at ext. 8691 or at haleymk@plu.edu. Photo by University Photographer Jordan Hartman.
When the residence hall was identified as next on the list to be remodeled, residential life saw a perfect opportunity to reconfigure the hall’s entrance. The front desk was moved to the other side of the entryway and now connects to the mailroom. Its former location will be filled with couches and chairs, thus retaining the space’s function as a gathering spot while improving safety and security.
Pease Construction began work on the three-story building May 27 and will be finished by the end of August. The residence hall is the fourth hall in as many summers to be remodeled. Foss was remodeled in 2005, Pflueger in 2006 and Tingelstad last year.
“The remodels enhance a student’s overall living and learning experience,” Serventi said.
Hinderlie’s remodel signals two firsts for PLU: the bathrooms will have heated floors and all the resident rooms and common areas will have wireless Internet.
By expanding the bathrooms to maximum capacity, there was room for plumbing fixtures in the walls but not a heating system, explained John Kaniss, construction projects manager. To heat the space, the university opted to install radiant floor heating.
The heating system is made up of a series of thin, plastic tubes placed underneath the tiled floor. Hot water is pumped through the tubes, heating the space evenly from the ground up. The system is more energy-efficient, Kaniss said.
Energy efficiency will also be improved by removing the bathroom windows. In the old Hinderlie bathrooms, heating units were located directly beneath windows, but the windows were regularly left open to vent the steam created by showers.
“We were heating the outside,” he said with a laugh.
“We’re trying to incorporate new energy-efficient practices into all that we do at PLU,” he continued. “We’re aware of the cutting-edge products that make the interior environment better for the students.”
Improving the wireless network is a campus-wide initiative. While most residence halls have wireless Internet access in the common areas, Hinderlie will be the first with wireless access throughout the building – even in individual rooms.
Other improvements include replacing the roof with a new, pitched roof, gutters and downspouts. The common areas and lounges received new paint, carpeting and furniture, and resident rooms have new mattresses.
While residential life hasn’t collected any official data on student satisfaction with the hall remodels, Serventi said that, at least anecdotally, the feedback has been positive.
“We’ve heard that people like the renovations and are more likely to stay living on campus,” she said.
Follow the progress of the Hinderlie renovation by becoming a fan of the Facebook group, “Hinderlie Renovations.” Registration is required to join Facebook.
University Communications staff writer Megan (Haley) Anderson compiled this report. Comments, questions, ideas? Please contact her at ext. 8691 or at haleymk@plu.edu. Photo by University Photographer Jordan Hartman.