Workers unpack and set up new furniture in the T.I. building. Josh Mehay | Washtenaw Community College
By Danny Villalobos
Staff Writer
There will soon be more places to sit and open a book or a laptop in lobby areas across campus – about 50 percent more. As part of a project to replace old furnishings, WCC has expanded total number of seats in lobbies and common areas.
The college spent $210,000 on the new furniture, said Charles Smith, director of design and construction services at WCC. Money came from the college’s capital furniture fund. The new furniture comes from KI of Green Bay, Wis.
Smith said the old furniture will either be going to inventory, disposed of, recycled, sold on eBay or be repurposed for further use in a different building.
The investment is due to insufficient seating and the condition of furniture nearing the end of its life-cycle, according to a report presented to the Board of Trustees last May.
In areas where the new furniture has been installed, the change seemed welcomed.
New couches in the T.I. building are just one of the many new furniture installations at WCC. Josh Mehay | Washtenaw Community College
“The vibe kind of made me feel like I was in a prison – I don’t know how to describe it – but now it feels comfortable and inviting,” said student Alyssa Licavoli, 21.
Licavoli’s friends Ashley Piepsney, 20, and Mary Logsdon, 21 agreed.
“I feel like it’s a lot more inviting and I like how there’s a lot more tables instead of just chairs so you can study,” Piepsney said.
Before the change, the students said they would usually go back and study at their homes, but the new additional seating gave them the opportunity to stay on campus.
“I’ll probably be going to the Student Center a lot more often rather than going back to my apartment to study,” said Licavoli.
All floors of LA and BE will have new furniture, while only the first floor of TI, second floor of the Student Center, and third floor of the GM building get new furnishings.
