Frequently Asked Questions

How large is the new Union?

The new Union will be 202,000 sq. ft. compared to approximately 52,000 sq. ft. in the existing Union. The new building will consist of a basement and two upper floors.

Where will it be built?

The Union will be located in the center of campus and will complete the “Central Campus Core” alongside the Chapel of the Resurrection, Christopher Center for Library and Information Resources and Center for the Arts.

How much will it cost and how will it be funded?

The total project cost is $74 million, including building construction, furnishings, kitchen equipment and an operating endowment. No tuition dollars will be used.

Who designed the new Union?

Sasaki and Associates, Boston, Massachusetts, is the Design Architect; Design Organization, Valparaiso, is the Architect of Record

What will be in the new Union?

After extensive surveying of students, faculty and staff and many hours of meetings and consultation, there was consensus that the new Union should be a very warm and welcoming place for students and guests. Features include:

    • A Student Organization Suite of approximately 5,000 sq. ft., which will include nine offices, two conference rooms, a large workroom, storage lockers for equipment, meeting space with computers, and mailboxes and file drawers for 80-100 student organizations.

    • State-of-the-art Book Center.
    • Ballroom accommodating 1,000 people in auditorium style seating or 500 for a meal.
    • Twelve meeting rooms with a seating capacity of 25-1,000, all fully equipped with state-of-the-art audio visual equipment and technology.
    • 2,500 student mailboxes and variety of mail services.
    • Career Center and offices for Multicultural Programs and International Studies.
    • Two dining areas, a 650-seat Dining Room with performance stage and fireplace plus a 150-seat Café with performance stage and large screen TV.
    • Outdoor dining areas on the east and west sides of the building. Outdoor space for performances and a variety of activities.
    • Multiple lounges, including a fireplace lounge.
    • Outdoor terrace on the second floor adjacent to the ballroom.
    • ATM machines, E-mail kiosks, Information TV system, commuter lockers and vending machines.

What food choices will we have in the new Union?

The Dining Room will serve a variety of food specialties including brick oven pizza and char-broiled items, wok cooking, a large fresh salad and soup bar, and daily specials. Numerous items will be cooked fresh and made to order. Sunday waffles will remain a specialty. There is also a grab-and-go-area for take-out convenience. In the Café there will be fresh baked pizza, charbroiled items, Freshens products, a coffee and bakery shop as well as a large convenience store. The Café will be open late each night for fast food options.

Is there lounge space?

There will be plenty of informal lounge space throughout the building on both the first and second floors. There is also a fireplace/piano lounge on the east end of the building. Soft seating exists in both dining areas. The main dining area has an area with a fireplace and soft seating for relaxing. There is a lounge area outside the ballroom. Students also will enjoy the computer lab and lounge and the Student Organization Suite, which contains computers for student use. The Multicultural and International Studies office area provides multi-purpose rooms and lounge space with TV. Lounges are provided as part of the goal to make the Union a place where students can relax and enjoy themselves.

What technology will the Union have?

    • There will be a computer lab and lounge with 16 computers, scanner and printer.
    • A wireless environment will allow access to the Internet from anywhere in the building.
    • The Student Organization Suite will have seven computers with printer and scanner. The workroom will also have a computer with the ability to do graphic design work.

Is there a 24-hour area?

The computer lab and lounge and the Student Organization Suite will be 24/7 for student use. After closing there will be direct entrance via card access from the first floor. There will be a security camera in this area for added safety.

Why do we need a new Union?

    • We have outgrown the existing building.
    • The current building is more than 50 years old and was not designed to handle the current 700,000 visitors a year.
    • Additional space is needed for student organizations.
    • Requests for use of meeting rooms are being denied each week due to a lack of space.
    • A more central and accessible location is needed for the Book Center, International Studies, Multicultural Programs and the Career Center.
    • Newly designed and equipped areas for Dining Services operations will make food services more efficient and offer new, healthy options for students.

How Green is the Union?

In an effort to protect and sustain the environment it has been the goal of the planning committee and the architects to create a building that supports the environment as much as possible. Even though we will not be a LEED certified building (we may accomplish this at some levels) the following sustainable and green features will appear in the new Union:

    • White colored roof to increase reflectivity and reduce heat island effect.
    • Alternate Bid on wood from certified forests.
    • Separation and sorting of construction waste.
    • Waterless urinals.
    • Formaldehyde-free board for interior millwork. Safety purposes.
    • Occupancy sensors on lighting for power conservation.
    • Photocells for exterior and corridor illumination sensing daylight levels, for power conservation.
    • Exterior stone from local quarry within 500 miles, conserving transportation costs.
    • High efficiency boilers, lighting (low heat output bulbs), energy management, refrigeration (cooling) equipment and cooling system.
    • Energy management and monitoring of refrigeration equipment.
    • Chilled Water System is air-cooled rather than a cooling tower. No waste of water, no evaporation, no chemicals and no outflows.
    • High efficiency kitchen equipment. Kitchen hoods are a new design that reduces the amount of make-up air.
    • Windows are low E, tinted and insulated. All main entrances have vestibules. All doors and windows are gasketed with thermal breaks. A lot of natural light in high volume/traffic spaces.
    • Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) carpet (less off gassing), and paint (these paints are less volatile, more easily maintained, cost-effective, and less harmful to human and environmental health).
    • Considerable natural flooring and exterior (stone).
    • Cooking oil collection, which we are contemplating using as biodiesel fuel for our tractors. Automatic oil extractors, which will transport the oil through pipe a collection reservoir.
    • Highly insulated throughout.
    • Environmentally friendly HFC-134a chillers.
    • Variable-primary flow chilled water system.
    • Operable windows with controls that allow shutting off TAB's.
    • Fan energy optimization through monitoring of all TAB positions.
    • Air flow measuring stations and control sequences to allow reducing amount of outdoor air being conditioned at all times.
    • Heating and cooling optimum start and occupied/unoccupied settings.
    • VFD's on fans and pumps
    • Electronic lighting ballasts
    • Fluorescent lighting for most of the building.
    • Brine reclamation provided with water softening system.

How will the current Union be used?

The University’s Campus Planning and Space Allocation Committee will help develop future plans for the former Union facility.

When will the building be finished?

The new facility will be ready for occupancy during the 2008-2009 academic year, Valpo’s 150th anniversary year.

If you would like to ask further questions or just leave a comment, please contact VU.Union@valpo.edu