The third floor of American University’s Mary Graydon Center reopened in August 2024 following nine months of construction with new offices and spaces for students.
The third floor now serves as a campus hub for an array of student-focused sectors including the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, the Center for Leadership and Community Engagement, the Center for Student Involvement and the Center for New Student and Family Programs.
The floor accommodates both individual and collaborative study spaces as its design includes an array of meeting rooms, a collaboration room, a student common space and a number of solo pods spread across the floor. Renovations also included the installation of multiple new all-gender restrooms and a private lactation room.
“A key update involved relocating the Academic Support and Access Center (ASAC) from MGC to the third floor of Butler Pavilion,” Internal Communications Coordinator Jackson F. Dietz wrote. “Offices within MGC were reorganized to improve adjacency, creating a more efficient layout and supporting future growth in student programming.”
The new walls are painted bright shades of red, white and blue, creating an energetic and vibrant atmosphere. Many of the offices sport large glass panels in place of walls which, coupled with the wide brightly lit hallways, give the space a modern feel.
The renovation is part of the Student Thriving Complex initiative, made possible by a $103 million investment from the Change Can’t Wait campaign and University resources, according to an announcement from former University President Sylvia Burwell.
The project, in partnership with the design company 3877, involved extensive collaboration with key program representatives, including the Division of Student Affairs, ensuring that the design aligns with the needs of those using the space, according to Dietz.
“It will be a flexible and student-focused space, including a new Student Engagement Commons where students can engage with one another, socialize, participate in clubs and organizations, and build the community that is central to the AU experience,” Burwell wrote in the same announcement.
As of the fall 2024 semester, students are beginning to make use of the new space as some feel campus study spots are often occupied.
“The library is kind of cramped and there are always people walking by which can get really distracting,” Marguerite Jones, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences said. “There's this one study area [on the third floor of MGC] that I really like, it's a lot more quiet.”
Jones is referring to a cluster of individual study desks within an office. While the space may be practical, some students are weary of the stylistic choices. Hannah Fixson, a sophomore in the School of International Studies, describes the renovated space as “cage-like.”
“I’m not so sure about all the metal,” Fixson said, speaking about the features of the student commons. “I understand the mixed media approach to make an industrial, modern vibe, but it feels a little bit like being in a cage.”
This article was edited by Payton Anderson, Tyler Davis and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Sabine Kanter-Huchting, Ariana Kavoossi and Ella Rousseau.
