university of chicago classroom planning study
The University of Chicago experienced significant growth that led to evolving classroom needs. Perceptions of space shortages prompted considerations for further construction on the campus core, but the university needed to understand, first, if these perceptions aligned with a quantitative analysis of utilization, and if so, what was the appropriate mix of new spaces.
DumontJanks began its collaboration with the University of Chicago by studying the current state of classroom utilization. The analysis indicated there was theoretical capacity for more sections, and showed that current space challenges related more to policy enforcement and a nearly uniform desire to teach during peak demand hours in a subset of desirable and accessible rooms.
As part of a thorough investigation, we developed a model for estimating future classroom demand which was sensitive to changes in the size of the student body as well as changes in the distribution of undergraduate majors and graduate student programs. We coordinated with another ongoing study for a new facility that would host some new classroom space. In each enrollment scenario we tested, the question of whether the university needed more space came back to policy. We provided guidance on how to revise scheduling practices and policies, flattening the demand for space throughout the week and increasing the capacity of the existing classroom inventory.
Our final task was to analyze scenarios for classroom investment to improve utilization in key rooms. These investment scenarios included both renovation and new construction, an exploration of technology impacts and requirements, and optimized furniture and room configurations.
