Perched atop South Campus’s peak at 621 Skytop Road, Syracuse University’s Sustainability Division office isn’t exactly located in the heart of campus.

But thanks to the remodeling efforts of some SU interior design students, a satellite office in Smith Hall will be a large steppingstone for the division to get closer to the action.

Room 003 of Smith Hall is currently being used for the division’s office space, but after some interior redecorating, the refurbished room will be finished by the end of the semester, said Sarah Redmore, a program coordinator for the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Junior interior design students in Redmore’s ISD 351: ‘Interior Design: Office Planning’ class will present their eco-friendly ideas to Sustainability Division officials Oct. 18.

The Sustainability Division, a part of SU’s Department of Energy and Computing Management, aids the university in fulfilling its obligations for SU’s Climate Action Plan, which works toward reducing the campus’ greenhouse gases to zero net emissions by 2040.

To achieve the goal of opening a satellite office, the Sustainability Division office contacted several of the university’s individual colleges and attempted to get office space in several different buildings. Due to Smith Hall’s current renovation project, brought on by a negotiation with VPA, the basement of Smith Hall worked best, said Rick Martin, a principal sustainability analyst in the Sustainability Division.

Officials at the Sustainability Division began talking about the move a few years ago, in an effort to be better connected with students on campus, Martin said.

‘We’re very far from campus, and over the years, we’ve started dealing with students face-to-face more and more,’ Martin said. ‘Opening a satellite office makes meeting with students much more convenient.’

Martin said student interaction is key in spreading the office’s environmental consciousness across campus.

The new space will include more offices and a conference room, Martin said.

To create its ideal working space, Sustainability Division officials approached Redmore and her interior design students. Five teams of five students each are currently working on creating their own designs for the office space.

Of the five different options, officials at the Sustainability Division are not entirely sure of what approach the new room should take. With multiple ideas, they might take aspects from different design plans and incorporate them into one singular plan.

‘We know we want it to be comfortable, inviting and warm.’ Martin said. ‘But we’re not designers — we don’t have a picture in mind.’

The designs will further the commitment of sustainability by incorporating many recycled materials into the room, Martin said.

‘We want to make sure that we’re using repurposed and refurbished materials and being environmentally friendly,’ Martin said. ‘We hope that this project is a good example for future refurbishment efforts on campus. This year’s designers will influence future designers, and we hope that this project can act as a real-life gallery of what can be done.’

The project also gives students the chance to experience what it is like to work on a real-life project in the interior design world.

‘We’ve been given clients with a budget and a real space and a real community to work with. Teamwork is also important here, as commercial interior designers work with architects, engineers and other designers on projects,’ said Doremy Diatta, a junior interior design major in an e-mail interview. ‘(My group and I) worked amazingly well together, and we’re excited to present to our clients and hear feedback from them.’

Diatta said her specific group was focusing its design on educating others on sustainability efforts. She said a green lifestyle is easier than it seems, and her group wants students on campus to know that through its design.

While the Sustainability Division will still occupy its office space on South Campus, officials hope having a satellite office on Main Campus will increase their contact with students and their role in the university as a whole.

‘The office on South Campus was very inefficient in meeting with students.’ Martin said. ‘Being on Main Campus, we hope to open up more communication with students and get a better feel of what students want.’

dspearl@syr.edu

Published on October 11, 2010 at 12:00 pm

Contact Diana: dspearl@syr.edu | @dianapearl_