Adapting space to accommodate current and future academic needs

In an era where changes in pedagogy shifts occur at a faster pace than before, we see an increased value in learning spaces that can accommodate current and future academic needs. The Framework’s goal to optimize infrastructure and reduce the total square footage by improving building utilization and occupancy rates, led studies that targeted methods to increase space utilization subsequently schedule classes more efficiently.

The ability to have a space change to accommodate different academic needs enables the university to maximize space use and reduce missed opportunities that take place campus-wide.

The Framework for the Future informed the Final Environmental Assessment and the planning strategy to improve the overall effectiveness of UH Mānoa’s facility portfolio by:

• Developing and retrofitting larger, more efficient buildings

• Having higher density and more open space by concentrating academic activity on Central Campus

• Improving building occupancy and utilization by making building repairs and identifying buildings that need to be removed from the campus inventory

• Removing underutilized portables

• Creating land banks for a range of future uses such as housing, R&D spaces, and open space plazas.

Link to the Framework document: https://www.manoaframeworkfuture.info/_files/ugd/97e54c_38f23dad2e2447398dea421dc386e7a0.pdf