New student hall completed at Chiba Togane Campus, renovated from the perspective of students and faculty

At Chiba Togane Campus, the renovation of the "Student Hall" on the first floor of Building A, where students use during breaks, has been completed, creating a new Student Hall. A convenience store, Lawson, has also opened in the hall. An opening ceremony was held on July 15th to celebrate the completion of the renovation. Students and faculty of Chiba Togane Campus, as well as IKEA Tokyo-Bay and Lawson Co., Ltd., participated in the renovation, which was carried out as a "collaborative renewal project" under the concept of "the birthplace of JIU culture."

A student giving a presentation at IKEA Tokyo-Bay

Meeting with Lawson representatives and staff

Project Overview

This project was launched in November 2024 with the aim of renovating the existing "Student Hall" through collaboration between students and young staff from the facility management department, incorporating feedback from the field, while also linking it to practical learning for both parties. The design proposal was decided after a total of 10 meetings, mainly consisting of seminar students from Associate Professor Seiji Matsuda of Faculty of Management and Information Sciences and young staff from the General Affairs Department. IKEA Tokyo-Bay and Lawson Co., Ltd. also provided input from a marketing perspective.

What are the challenges facing student halls?

This project was launched in November 2024 with the aim of renovating the existing "Student Hall" through collaboration between students and young staff from the facility management department, incorporating feedback from the field, while also linking it to practical learning for both parties. The design proposal was decided after a total of 10 meetings, mainly consisting of seminar students from Associate Professor Seiji Matsuda of Faculty of Management and Information Sciences and young staff from the General Affairs Department. IKEA Tokyo-Bay and Lawson Co., Ltd. also provided input from a marketing perspective.

Key points of the renewal

<Student Hall>
With the theme of "a space overflowing with motivation," we aimed to create a space that would increase motivation to learn and help students concentrate on what they want to do. The overall color scheme is based on dark colors, with the number of colors kept to a minimum to create a calm impression, and the chairs and furniture are laid out accordingly. The space can accommodate up to 77 people at tables and counter seating. Potted plants have also been placed there to have a relaxing effect and improve concentration, productivity, and creativity. Also, in response to comments about concerns about views from outside, the placement of plants and other measures has been used to soften the view, while also prioritizing continuity with the outside space. The finished product has a café-like atmosphere, and IKEA furniture creates a stylish space.

 

 

<Convenience store area>
The theme of the renovation was "A QOL revolution for students who create the future." We considered measures to improve convenience for students, such as reducing crowding at the cash registers, arranging shelves to make it easier to choose products, and installing more self-checkouts, and proposed an overall layout plan. In response to this, a new Lawson opened in the student hall on July 16th.

The opening ceremony was a grand success

To celebrate the completion of the renovation, an opening ceremony was held in the new student hall on July 15th. University President Masato Kurabayashi, Associate Professor Seiji Matsuda and his seminar students who participated in the project, and representatives from Lawson Co., Ltd., Takamatsu Techno Service Co., Ltd., IKEA Japan, and Sanyo Co., Ltd. attended the ceremony.

A speech on behalf of the student body was given by Ao Eguchi, a fourth-year student Faculty of Management and Information Sciences.

Student representative Kentaro Hirano, 4th year student Faculty of Management and Information Sciences gave a speech

University President Kurabayashi expressed his gratitude, saying, "I hope that this will continue to be a meaningful place for a long time as a place where students can inspire each other. We would like to give back to everyone who supported us so that the value of the student hall will increase." Project representative Eguchi Ao, student from the Department of Department of Management Sciences Faculty of Management and Information Sciences, said, "When we first participated in this project, we were very worried about whether we would be able to see it through to completion. However, the companies welcomed us warmly, and gave us advice and opinions about the project. As a result, it has been transformed into this wonderful place. I would be happy if the good things about the university can be spread with this place as a center."
Through this project, students experienced practical learning. Staff also gained valuable experience in gaining a deeper understanding of student needs and reflecting them in university operations. Our university hopes that this project will serve as an opportunity to continue this cycle of students and staff working together to create new value as a strength and distinctive feature of the university into the future.