Photo by: Natalie Pipe

Major renovations were done to the Centennial Halls lobby over the summer and to parts of Centennial Towers in an effort to better utilize space for students to learn and relax.

Centennial Halls’ lobby was completely remodeled to maximize its space for socializing and studying, according to Chris Shelton, university project manager.

The cost for the project has not been finalized, though Halls was given a budget of $500,000.

Additional classroom space was also added within Centennial Towers in order to accomodate some of the organizations that needed space.

“There were so many big nothing spaces where so much more could be done,” said Shleton. “We made it into a cool place to hang out and curl up and study. It’s been made into a cool hangout spot for students rather than a passageway between points ‘A’ and ‘B.'”

The Housing and Residential Education Office started the facelift in Centennial Halls to create a more welcoming and relaxing environment for students to study in, said Justin Price, executive director.

There are now over 100 seating areas within Centennial Halls instead of the 25 that were there last year.

“If you want a place to study in Halls, you’ll find it,” said Rachel Shaffer, a resident advisor (RA) for Centennial Halls South.

Notable additions include a fireplace, softer seating and lounges within the common area.

Variations in color and additional lighting were also included to make the area more comfortable and vibrant.

On any typical night, the common area of Centennial Halls is filled with students studying and talking on the many couches and chairs available throughout.

“I’ve already seen students hanging out and doing homework,” said Jack Mao, RA for Centennial Halls and three-year resident.

DU also plans to build an outdoor basketball court on the south side of the Halls building.

The full-sized court will provide additional entertainment for students while remaining close to their dorms.

“We are working hard to create space on campus that can be used for a variety of purposes that allows students an opportunity to be active near their residence hall,” said Price.

“It’s nice,” said Shaffer. “It really makes it more like a place to live.”