Group 2
Alexandra Perez
Brandon Rodriguez
Brendan Lukas
- High Inventory of Hygiene Supplies
- Nutritional Value
- Diversity and variety in Nutrition
- Cheaper Meals
- New Student Life Facilities
- Efficient use of Time
- Cheaper and Plentiful Educational Tools
- Reliable and Cheap Transportation
- Well kept and new Recreational Spaces
- More Sleep
- Student Rush Entertainment
We chose new student life facilities as our focus. This challenge reflects the deeper need of a student lifestyle via physical spaces at Baruch. We believe the big idea is: What defines the Baruch student population as a unique community within the hustle and bustle of NYC? We chose new student life facilities in order to answer this question and because we believe it encompasses many other needs and wants of students. These facilities would include: on campus housing, recreational activity centers, updated game rooms, and renovated club spaces. This is important in drawing students to stay at Baruch outside of class, interact with each other, have fun, and build their character. Baruch is predominantly a commuter school even with a small dorm on the Upper East Side. To offer on campus housing would seriously decrease commuters and the perception that Baruch students just “get in for class and then get out.” Even though Baruch already has a game room, it is quite small and outdated. Creating a larger space in a prime location with updated games and equipment would increase student interaction on campus. For club spaces, larger and individual rooms with new equipment would improve each club’s visibility and new member sign-ups. Finally in regard to recreational activity centers, the renovation would include larger gyms and more multipurpose spaces for holding student events.
Reliable and cheap transportation was a strong contender. We felt offering free MetroCards, student parking, and a Zipcar U program would alleviate the stress on commuters to Baruch and allow them to partake in more activities on campus. In addition this issue would involve not just Baruch’s budget but also the city of New York’s budget. They would most likely have to provide free MetroCards for all CUNY schools out of fairness and this could lead to an increase in tuition. Furthermore new student life facilities would eliminate the need for commuting altogether.
Stakeholder Research: Students Living “On Campus” (EHS Residence; Apartments)
By Brendan Lukas
Business Research
- Primary:
- Interviewed Baruch students living at the 1760 3rd Avenue EHS Residence and those with apartments in Manhattan. Asked the following questions:
- How long does it take you to get to Baruch?
- Do you like your current living situation?
- Would you prefer to live closer to Baruch?
- If on-campus housing were offered in buildings immediately surrounding Baruch, would you live there?
- For how many semesters would you live on campus?
- If new and renovated student activity centers (recreation center, game rooms, and club spaces) were added on campus in addition to housing, would that change your answer?
Findings: Every interviewee living at the EHS Residence answered that they would rather live closer to campus and how they felt like commuters. The average time to take the subway from the EHS Residence to Baruch is 20 minutes. The Baruch EHS residents also were in favor of new and renovated student activity centers, but on-campus housing was enough for a yes. They also said that the EHS Residence was too expensive, almost more than the rent for some apartments. On the other hand, the students with apartments either used to live in the EHS Residence or had their place since starting school at Baruch. They favored the independence of an apartment, but did admit they would have liked to live on campus for at least their freshman and sophomore years.
Insight: The general consensus of students living “on campus” was a yes for actual on campus housing. While they did not hate their current living situation, the distance and convenience of on-campus housing would be beneficial. In addition, those with apartments recalled that they wish they could’ve lived on campus for 1-2 years before getting an apartment. This shows an apparent desire to live amongst their peers within Baruch.
- On-site visit to 1760 3rd Avenue EHS Residence.
Findings: The residence is over 70 blocks away from Baruch in Harlem. It is across the street from low-income housing (“project buildings”). Baruch is just one school contracted in the residence and only has 5 floors within the building. LIM, Kaplan, Hunter, and John Jay are the other schools. The only room options are double and triple shared spaces with no suites. There is confusion in regard to the responsibilities of EHS RAs vs. Baruch RAs. The gym and game room are outdated. While the laundry room and kitchen are newer, there are not enough washer/dryers nor ovens/microwaves for the entire building to clean or cook without waiting awhile.
Insight: Offering strictly Baruch on-campus housing would empower the Baruch community. The neighborhood around Baruch is a much nicer place to live and more student friendly. Some of the outdated amenities at the EHS Residence mirror the updates needed at Baruch (such as the gym and game room).
- Secondary:
- “Housing Instability at CUNY: Results from a Survey of CUNY Undergraduate Students” In depth-look at how CUNY students are struggling with shelter and hunger. http://www.gc.cuny.edu/CUNY_GC/media/CUNY-Graduate-Center/PDF/Centers/Center%20for%20Human%20Environments/cunyhousinginstability.pdf
- Baruch College Residence Life website details Baruch students’ options and amenities at the EHS residence. http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/studentaffairs/housing/index.html
- EHS 1760 3rd Avenue Residence website provides information about the residence that the Baruch website leaves out. http://www.studenthousing.org/live/1760-third-avenue
- Reviews of Baruch Campus Housing by students: mostly negative, D+ overall. https://colleges.niche.com/cuny-baruch-college/campus-housing/
- Yelp reviews of the EHS 1760 3rd Avenue Residence; 2 out of 5 stars. http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-1760-third-avenue-residence-new-york
- Article about finding cheaper apartments for students in NYC. It’s an involved process for an incoming student with a lot of research, cross-checking, and groundwork. It rarely comes cheap either with broker’s fees. https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/new-york/how-to-find-a-cheap-apartment-in-nyc
Insight: It’s a lot of work for a student to find an apartment and next to impossible for a student on a budget. Reviews show that the current Baruch housing options have left a negative lasting impression on students. The survey data from Source #1 suggests that many CUNY students experience housing instability and that existing programs are not adequately addressing students’ housing needs.
Design Research
- Past: 101 Ludlow Residence.
- Current: EHS 1760 3rd Avenue Residence.
- Future: Surveys dispersed inquiring about on-campus housing.
- Past: Construction of 25th Street plaza.
- Future: Renovation of 17 Lex Field Building.
- Current: Apartment finding websites for neighborhoods surrounding Baruch.
- Past: Talk of sharing space at SVA George Washington Residence across the street from Baruch.
- Current: Commuting from current living situation.
- Future: Proposal for free MetroCards for CUNY students.
- Past: Video game systems added to the game room.
Insight: More has been done in renovating Baruch’s looks rather than improving or building facilities for student life.
Stakeholder Research: Commuter Students/Game Room Occupants
By Brandon Rodriguez
Business Research:
- Primary:
1) Interviewed fellow friends and classmates who I knew to be commuters (those who do not live in dorms nor have apartments in Manhattan) Asked the following questions:
Are you stressed out by your commute?
(if yes) Do you feel you would get more out your day by dorming?
If you had more time at Baruch what would you allocate it to?
Do you feel commuting affects your social life at Baruch?
Do you do your homework at home or at Baruch?
(if no) Do you feel your commute takes up more time out of your day than you’d wish?
Findings: Most of the interviewees expressed their stress that comes from having to commute back and forth from Baruch. Most said if the housing was more affordable and plentiful they would take part. Most of them said if they had more time free and not occupied by commuting they would look into Baruch activities and making more friends. Most of the interviewees dont utilize the spaces provided due to “crampedness” and lack of space thus they do their homework at home as opposed to staying even later at school and taking a late commute. Most dreamed being at Baruch and having more of an actual campus feel.
Insight: It seems that all of my classmates and friends I had talked to almost all of them did not feel quite at home at Baruch and dreaded their commutes everyday. They seemed to long for more areas and physical spaces that would make their college lives easier and more fun.
2) On site Visit – Game Room
Findings: The Game room is located on the third floor of the vertical campus. It is almost hidden away with the club rooms, USG office, and radio room. Most students seemed surprised when i mention we have a game room, nevertheless its there. Inside the gameroom there are 2 pingpong tables, 1 foozball table, 1 pool table, a large flat screen tv, assorted seats, a table, and a small bar. These all seem to be on the lower side of the quality spectrum and are constantly in use by the same group of students (observed from multiple visits). The overall interactions from the gameroom attendees seem to be medium to high. Most who played the games came seeking a competition which resulted in finding a new friend or acquaintance. There were many students waiting for their turns at using the games and making friends but unfortunately a large majority could not wait very long due to the hustle and bustle of their schedules.
Insight: The lack of space and quality of games seems to really turn away most students from socializing here at the game room. If there were to be a larger game room or an additional game room students will have more of a chance to make new friends and have a good time.
Secondary: (-> = insight)
- http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/baruch-cuny-4766 -> Even the college rankings point out that most students commute and there is LIMITED dorm space despite the large 3 acre campus.
- https://colleges.niche.com/cuny-baruch-college/guys–and–girls/ -> “In terms of the social scene, don’t get your hopes up for too much socializing on campus. As a commuter school, most students leave campus after studying is over. A typical guy or girl is someone who’s quickly packing up after class, squeezing into a crowded elevator, and rushing to catch a train home or to a part-time job. If you’re looking to get to know other students through late-night socializing and partying, Baruch is probably not for you.”
- http://ticker.baruchconnect.com/article/commuting-in-extreme-weather-conditions-proves-difficult/ -> Commuters put themselves through a lot to get onto campus on time even if the conditions are awful they must deal with the travel.
- https://baruch.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/2nd+Floor+Lounge+and+Game+Room/1_rnnzhe0b -> Game room looks cramped and vacant of many different game offerings.
- http://ticker.baruchconnect.com/article/students-head-indoors-for-an-ideal-study-space/ -> The plaza is a great example of a student space expansion but it is outdoors and doesnt offer much for students when the weather is bad.
- http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/877856-baruch-college-and-social-life.html -> Most users seem to warn students to not attend Baruch due to lack of social life and places for students to gather.
- Design
1) Past: Construction of 25st Plaza -> New entrance gave students a place to relax outdoors.
2) Past: Construction of 23rd st entrance of VC -> Gave students easier access to building and another outdoor area to relax.
3) Current: Skipping school altogether if commute is bad -> If their commute is too frustrating students will simply miss school.
4) Future: 23rd st building renovation -> Baruch is hoping to improve the 23rd st building and students are hoping it means better elevators and more student spaces.
5) Past: Bookstore/Cafe reconstruction -> offers another area for students to socialize and study.
6) Past: Starbucks on 2nd floor of VC -> added another area for students to lounge in and consume coffee.
7) Future: Renovation of Computer Lab in Library -> extended space for computers and more macs available.
8) Past: Dorms on 96st -> offered a living space for Baruch students and a now easier commute.
9) Present: Spring/Summer/Winter Carinvals -> Large events held on the campus that can only be held outdoors on the plaza.
10) Current: Baruch students finding apartments together. -> Baruch students are seeking ways to find apartments with other like minded commuters.
Stakeholder Research: Custodial Staff Electricians/Janitors
by Alexandra Perez
Interview Baruch’s Custodial Staff
- How does the janitorial service works?
- What do you suggest it can be improve?
- Do you think it will be beneficial for students to have a new building for dorms and game room? Why?
- What kind of things will you need in order for the building to be maintain?
- Would you suggest that they should assign one person per floor?
Findings: Most of the janitorial employees express that they think is a good idea and beneficial for students to have closer dorms. The y say that if a building was to be closer to school, it will increase their hours of work. However, for them they would like to have the same schedule for the shifts they have at the moment, morning and evening, but they will prefer to be each assign one floor. This could benefit students because their dorms building and bathrooms will maintain sanitize at all times.
The Electrician staff say maintenance is done every day in the buildings. Most of the time for the elevators because they get stuck, but if the building is new there is more guarantee that it will be possible for them not to be needed often. However for other electrical issues they believe it will be a good thing for students to benefit because they also get hours increase at their job.
Insights: All the ladies I have spoken with always complain about the bathrooms. There is never any soap or toilet papers and is always a mess there. However if they increase the amount of staff for the janitors is possible for them to actually go around the floors and maintain the restrooms.
Electricians often repair the elevators on 23rd st building and on the VC building and often they make sure they are working. However there is so much they can do with the schools budgets for replacements items.
On Site Visit at 23st and VC Building
Findings: Most students are upset because elevators take too long for them to appear and they are always late to class. That makes them late for class and professors don’t like that excuse. They wait there at times more than ten minutes. Other people say that at time half of a door opens on the elevators.
Bathrooms have no maintained at certain times, there are papers and items all over the floors and no supply to wash their hands with. Women usually bring their hand sanitizer or soap.
Insights: Many of students support the fact that they should be weekly inspected because they take to long for them to where they need to be. Other say that they should make more elevators that are express because those are helpful.
Most of the students complains are about the ladies restrooms, they think that people are just so nasty and they can believe school don’t maintain the restrooms.
Secondary Research:
- Campus Operations “Custodial Services”
https://www.baruch.cuny.edu/cfo/sections.htm
- Operation Services at Baruch College
http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/cfo/operations.htm
- Examples of Custodial Proposal
- Peoples opinion for posting “Janitors are overpaid”
Insights: Baruch has only a certain Budget for Custodial Staff however they are trying to keep everything organized. They have a current system with times and schedule for each one of them. Still it is very hard for them to create proposal for workers since they have to be approve by the Cuny office.
Design Research
- Increase janitorial staff
- Separate janitorial shifts hours so that they can be better maintained
- Increase the weekly supplies for janitors
- Increase the break for janitors so they can have more energy
- Give lectures of team works and work cycle
- Renovate 23rd building for technicians improvements
- Increase the staff and hours on electricians
- Have weekly reports of improvements and needs
- Add more supervisors to make sure jobs are done accurately and on time
- Get all staff technical equipment were they can be reach for emergency(some use personal cellphone)
50 Solutions
1. Sky Bridge Plaza
2. Arcade
3. Student lounge
4. Performance space
5. Multipurpose room
6. Rent/Share space with other schools
7. Update weight room
8. More swimming pools
9. Rock climbing wall
10. Larger gym
11. Gymnastics room
12. New Media Arts room
13. Art gallery
14. Bike storage room
15. Smoothie bar
16. Greenhouse
17. Garden
18. Farm
19. Parking garage
20. Coat check room
21. Indoor tennis courts
22. Update game rooms
23. Allocating more funds to Student Life
24. Larger and centralized Student Health Center
25. Larger cafeteria
26. Larger dining room
27. Outdoor eating area
28. Meditation/Yoga room
29. Subway station
30. Group cycling room
31. Karaoke room
32. Snack bars
33. Larger club rooms
34. 3D printing rooms
35. Virtual golf driving range
36. Larger dark room
37. Film production room with green screens
38. Baruch buses with on campus terminal
39. Music studio
40. Daycare Center
41. Lazy River
42. Boxing studio
43. Pottery/Arts & Crafts studio
44. Wood shop
45. Blacksmith
46. Paintball/Lazer Tag Arena
47. On-campus housing
48. Spa
49. Hot tub time machine in dorms
50. Single, double, and triple dorm rooms
Top 10 Solutions
1. Sky Bridge Plaza: Connect the VC and Library buildings with elevated space and views of the city skyline. Will create more vertical real estate for other facilities in place of 25th street.
2. On-campus housing: Offer students living space to build community on campus with no commuting necessary.
3. Student lounge: Specifically for socializing and resting unlike a cafeteria where purchasing/consuming food is obligatory.
4. New performance space: Allows students to hold performances (concerts, performing arts, etc.) with professional PAs, lighting, and rigging.
5. Larger multipurpose room: Immense open space that students can reserve for various purposes and hold club events.
6. Rent/share space with other schools: A cost-saving alternative to purchasing real estate for new student life facilities.
7. Update weight room: New and increased amount of weight-lifting equipment, treadmills, stair-steppers, and stationary bicycles.
8. Daycare center: Will alleviate the stress of child care for students who are also parents. Creates a space for children to have fun and for their parents to visit in between class.
9. Arcade: Space that allows students to enjoy classic games together. Another source of revenue for Baruch.
10. Larger recreational gym: To give sports teams their own dedicated gym and allow other students to have an open gym for basketball and other activities.
Top 10 Solutions (Now Incorporating 3D Printing)
1. Sky Bridge Annex: Connect the VC and Library buildings with elevated space and views of the city skyline. Will create more vertical real estate for other facilities where students can interact in place of 25th street. The annex will be constructed using a Kamermaker, or Room Builder – which is essentially a scaled up version of a table-top 3D printer. The Room Builder prints building blocks from molten bio-plastic. This is currently a mix of 80% plant oil reinforced with microfibers. For reinforcement, the blocks have an internal honeycombed center that can be back-filled with Eco concrete. It also provides space for pipes, wiring and data cables to be installed internally.
2. On-campus housing: Offer students living space to build community on campus with no commuting necessary. This building will also be constructed using a Room Builder, allowing for quicker construction, lower labor costs, and less waste produced. Internal fixtures and dorm room furniture can also be 3D printed with a smaller scale printer.
3. Student lounge: Specifically for socializing and resting unlike a cafeteria where purchasing/consuming food is obligatory.3D printing will be more efficient because either way they can feel they have luxury from the items that can be printed like the cups couches, chairs etc.
4. New performance space: Not only will 3-d printing make the construction of this space possible via cheaper means but the equipment needed for the usage of the room too. The PA systems can use 3-d printing for the outer layer of the actual speaker, the microphones can be made of lightweight but durable plastic, and the stage itself can be printed by additive manufacturing. All these ideas for this space concerning 3-d printing will be very cost effective.
5. Larger multipurpose room: Immense open space that students can reserve for various purposes and hold club events. 3D printers can be use to print any type of material students may need for this room the light for the performing center, a microphone even chairs. I t all depends how students like to set up the room and what are they using for.
6. Rent/share space with other schools: A cost-saving alternative to purchasing real estate for new student life facilities. If the current building or space does not allow for an influx of Baruch students additional rooms or space can be created using a Room Builder. This 3D printing technology has the potential to renovate old buildings by lowering their carbon footprint while bringing their designs up to modern aesthetics.
7. Update weight room: New and increased amount of weight-lifting equipment, treadmills, stair-steppers, and stationary bicycles. 3d printer will be very effictive here because they can easily be use to print better hand grips for students to grab the weights. weight holders where students can place the wight in a safer place. they can even be use to print gloves for students to be able to use these weight and they wont hurt themselves.
8. Daycare center: Once again the structure itself here can be 3-d printed but that would be undermining the true potential of 3-d printing. We could also be 3-d printing a playpen with a hard but light plastic so if the kids mistakenly run into the fence it would not hurt them nor would it fall. We will of course need toys as well fro the kids and these can be 3-d printed and customized for each individual child and their playing habits.
9. Arcade: The arcade space not only can be 3-d printed but customized in a way to look nothing like any arcade you have ever seen before. Baruch logos will be able to be added right into the very walls and ceiling of the space so that students feel proud and welcome. The actual cabinets of the games themselves can also be printed via additive manufacturing in order to cut costs but also allow students to move the cabinets all over the floor space with ease.
10. Larger recreational gym: To give sports teams their own dedicated gym and allow other students to have an open gym for basketball and other activities. 3D printers can help the gym because we can print bigger light holders or baseball hoops even new equipment for teams to use.
Narrowed Down Solution
Choice of Solution and Explanation:
We have decided to narrow down our solution to building a dorm for students. By solely constructing a dorm we are able to have an entirely new space dedicated to only students. We had figured out that adding to or extending the Vertical Campus would be too inconvenient and would not necessarily give students isolation. Students should have an entire building that is open and encourages them to engage with each other in privacy away from the Vertical Campus. By creating a dorm building students can still be a part of the Baruch community without having to actually be on campus. The dorms would act as a stress free zone where students can get away from their work and enjoy the companionship of their fellow Bearcats.
Since we are creating an entirely new building, we are also able to have our other ideas of solutions or spaces included inside. Thus the arcade, the larger swimming pool, the performance space, the daycare room and all the other spaces can exist here. This would be a lot simpler than trying to add on to the already existing and full space that occupies the VC. This would also give students easy access to the variety of activities that would be going on between students all under one roof. Because all of this will be going under one roof, student communities will be more likely to form. In choosing the dorm as a solution, we are also able to build it in a prime spot which would be ideally closer to campus unlike the existing dorms uptown. Therefore the commute between school and the dorms would be cut down tremendously and students can walk to school together, creating more face to face interaction in the physical space that is Baruch.
Photos of Model of Dorm:
Step 8: Business Model Canvas & 2D Renderings
