Carnegie Mellon University’s Office of Student Leadership, Involvement, and Civic Engagement (SLICE) needed additional space to support an increasing level of student civic engagement. To meet this need, the
University and Bostwick Design Partnership worked together to convert the disused Alumni Lounge on the
first floor of the Cohon University Center (CUC) into the Nexus of Civic Engagement: a vibrant and energetic
collaboration space for students.

The new Nexus has a highly visible and welcoming front door experience thanks to its prominent location adjacent to the CUC’s main entry and atrium. The centerpiece of the facility is an open work area that features a variety of flexible seating and worktable options and integrated audiovisual resources to support student work. Flanking this main space is a glass-enclosed “Zoom Room” for virtual meetings and a row of new staff offices that help seamlessly integrate the entire renovation with the existing SLICE offices to create a unified home for this important organization.