Goodbye ping pong tables, hello “one-stop shop.” If you’re brand new to NAIT, you missed the glory days of the ping pong tables in South Lobby. No matter what time of day you walked by, there was someone playing ping pong. It was a beautiful example of the power of community and the way sports bring us together.
And that’s still happening on campus. It’s just not happening in South Lobby, but for a potentially very worthy cause.
It may look like the tables were moved for no reason, but behind the scenes, the area is getting gutted for a three-year long, $12 million project designed to streamline the student experience.
“Our aim is to consolidate some student services in one space, to really streamline the student experience,” said Petrina Ferreira, NAIT’s associate vice-president, students and campus experience.
Currently, if students need support, they have to go to various places on campus — W-building for mental health support through NAIT’s counselors, E-wing for Learning Services, O-wing for the students’ association… you get the picture. On a good day, you find what you need at the first stop. On a bad day, you’re getting your steps in to speak to the right person.
The project aims to make South Lobby a “true one-stop shop” for students, said Ferreira.
“This project will really solidify the support they need in one space, and really eliminate the guesswork,” she told the Nugget. “Students are the ‘why’ behind this project, and their voice is critical.”
That student voice has been heard through a few different avenues, including posters, outreach sessions and in-person opportunities for students to give feedback. NAITSA also has representatives on the planning committee, including President Lilly Houcher, who said that continuing to hear from students will be important.
Houcher also emphasized the need to consider NAIT’s growth when conceptualizing the space. “The services that are here today might not be here in three years or five years or beyond,” she said. “But the idea and concept of it is, I think, very beneficial for students.”
South Lobby is the ‘heart of campus’
While some students may think of CAT as more of a campus hub, Eduardo Sosa, NAIT’s associate vice-president facilities, said there was “no question” that South Lobby was the perfect location for this project.
The location is physically central for the Main Campus — Sosa highlighted that South Lobby is close to W-building, CAT and the future Advanced Skills Centre. It’s also near NAITSA’s office, Athletics and Recreation and the Centre for Community and Belonging.
And it’s a huge space — there’s 37,000 square feet (about two NHL hockey rinks!) hidden behind the lobby walls, along with remnants of NAIT’s former eras. The space used to house numerous departments: student services, which moved to CAT in 2018; a health clinic, which is now located in the S-building; and once upon a time, it was the registrar.
Behind the walls, there are glimpses of what the South Lobby used to be. Photos by Amy St. Amand / The Nugget
Currently, the planning team is in the “detailed design phase,” said Sosa. “We are going to be basically outlining what are the specific requirements of the space.”
Ferreira said they are looking at a “holistic” approach to the final decision on what will be in the space.
“We’re not thinking linear in terms of reporting line … we’re really looking at the student at the centre and what they may need throughout that kind of messy middle and their journey at NAIT holistically.”
Houcher said the deliberation on what services will move to South Lobby “has to be executed properly.”
“I think it’s really important that it’s a smooth process, or it could make it really frustrating for students,” she said. “But the concept of it, one stop-shop, that is what is best for students.”
The goal is to have the project completed by Fall 2028, and while it may not currently look like much is happening, Sosa said there has been a lot of work behind the scenes.
“We’ve done a really good job not disrupting anybody,” he said. And as the construction continues over the next three years, they want to minimize impacts to students as much as possible. “We’ve been phasing the project in a way that disruption is minimized, so we don’t shut down the entire space at once.”
In the meantime, the ping pong tables (and their less popular cousin, the foosball tables) have found new, permanent homes on campus. Look for signage with QR codes pointing students in the right direction, or visit NAIT’s website for an interactive map.
Feature image via NAIT
