Architects from the Duda-Paine firm located in Durham hosted the Talley Open house at their office Tuesday. This event was organized mainly to showcase the concept and new design model of the Talley Student Center which is all set to undergo renovation in coming four years.

Turan Duda, design partner and the lead design principal for this ambitious project expressed his excitement on working on this project.

“Being an alumnus of N.C. State University myself, I feel greatly honored. I was a freshman when the current Talley Student Center was completed. I thus have a different insight towards this building. Over the years, many students told me that this building needs restructuring and improvements,” Duda said.

Jay Smith, program manager for this project said it all started in a closed room and in one day.

Smith said, “Around August – September last year, the project team underwent a formal interview process from the University Architect’s Board. We were given a weekend to come up with some sample ideas for the project. It was in these two days that we came up with a bunch of schemes or options for the project model. Each scheme focused on some specific key areas we needed to address. From June until now, we have been working on a schematic design that tries to incorporate most of the features of our schemes that we had presented. In this process, we also interviewed some students to get their opinions on how they would like their new Student Center to be.”

Smith said the new Talley Student Center will have more entrances and green, open space.

“We wish to create a safer and enjoyable environment for the students. It will be a lot greener, lot more open space. The NCSU Bookstores will be incorporated in the new Center’s design. There will be an improved food court, it would be surrounded with a lawn. There will be more entrances to the food court and less funneling, which is a major complaint students have while entering the food court. And these are just some of the major changes we have proposed. There are many more,” Smith said.

According to Smith, the next steps would involve submitting the model drawings and then start off with the initial phase of the project in the summer of 2011.

“We are planning to start construction on the NCSU Bookstores side of the Student Center. The bookstore will temporarily shift to Harrelson Hall, so will be the other student activity offices in the Talley in later months,” Smith said.

Jennifer Gilmore, public communications specialist at campus enterprises, said she is very excited about the project.

“When I was a grad student, I never felt like campus life was what it ought to be. The new generation of students wants to see more and more technology everywhere. This concept of the new Student center is just amazing and I hope it kicks off as soon as possible. Once it is completed in late 2014, I believe it will be one of the landmark buildings of our University along with D.H. Hill Library,” Gilmore said.

The project is fun to work on because it’s local, Smith said.

Smith said, “Duda-Paine Architects have worked on various projects both nationally and internationally in the past. Personally, it is a great feeling to work on a local project and that too such an exciting one.”

According to Duda, the project would be successful only if students feel proud of the new Center.

“Till now, the project was just a concept, but today, we have presented these visual designs which will definitely help students imagine themselves in the new building. I will feel proud the day I see students wanting to go to the Student Center to hang out again and again. True success lies in its acceptance amongst the students,” Duda said.

Maegan Rizer, a freshman in First Year College, said she liked the design a lot.

“I liked the design. It is significantly different from what it is now. There would probably be a more practical use of the existing design. I would love to experience it once it is complete,”, Rizer said.

Daniel Cunningham, a junior in biomedical engineering, said he is excited with the increase in space in the new design.

“The new design has a lot more space and is lot more open. Thus it will have a lot more light, which is good,” Cunningham said.