Over the summer, Tiedemann’s apartment-style building — a longtime housing option on campus — underwent its first full renovation in decades. The large-scale project reimagines what on-campus apartment living can look like.
The updates include new flooring, a fresh coat of paint with a blue accent wall, a modernized kitchen, and new bathroom features. Other updates include LED lighting and brand-new furniture throughout the apartments. SAU Residence Life and Physical Plant said the updates are just the beginning of a push to bring older campus housing up to date.
“Tiedemann is one of the [out of the preferred living areas] the oldest buildings that we have on campus. It was built right around the time of the townhouses. There hasn’t been much done to it in the last twenty-five to thirty years” says Steven McConnell, the area coordinator for the building.
The building has been continually used for 12 months a year for summer housing needs, students with internships, and regular housing during the school year.
“It was not given a break for decades on end” McConnell adds.
Kaylon Spengler, interim director of the Physical Plant, said the 48-day renovation offered valuable lessons. “We learned a lot. We have a good idea on timing now so I think we know moving forward when tackling another dorm what to expect. There were a lot of new pieces at play on how this was all going to be laid out. It turned out that students were happy with it, it was a good project, and it was a good learning experience.”
Spengler also noted that dorms had been overlooked while campus growth focused on new buildings, like Higgins Hall. “The overall vision is that all the dorms need some kind of upgrade,” he said. “Each dorm will look a little different, but Tiedemann had gone the longest without major renovations. We’d updated the carpet years ago, but overall it really needed substantial work.”
He added that part of the renovation goal was to refresh the spaces so students could see the university investing in their experience.
Tiedemann residents are satisfied with the new change. Grant Ward, a student who lived in the building before and after the renovation, shared his perspective, “Hardwood floors are so nice to have. I hated the carpet last year because it was so dirty. I didn’t want to be barefoot in my own living space. Having the hard floor was so much nicer, and it brightens up the rooms.”
“I am very comfortable and I feel very at home. It is a great place for me to decompress and feel safe. I love my room” says Grace Walker, a first-time resident. “The stove tops are easy to maintain and clean. I like how they are so modernized and the stove tops will last a long time. They are nice looking, functional, and aesthetic” she added.
Harvey Doleman, a graduate student from the United Kingdom, said the transition to American campus housing took some adjustment. “Colleges in the UK have everyone in their own room, so it was a bit harder to adjust to having a roommate here. But the building itself is wonderful, and the cleaning staff is very helpful,” he said.
Future Campus Renovations
“Hagen is at some point down the road,” says McConnell. “We are trying to prioritize what we can do within the budget.”
Townhouses and Cosgrove Hall are also under consideration, with the university weighing whether to renovate entire buildings at once or proceed floor by floor.
Flooring changes are another likely shift. “I think we are going away from the carpet in the dorms. With the Rohlman laminate floors, it’s easier to clean and has a little bit more durability.” Spengler continues: “It will be the standard flooring for future housing.”
According to the Campus Facilities Master Plan, St. Ambrose University plans a series of major updates over the next 10 years. Projects include renovating the first floor of Hayes Hall with the addition of an elevator, creating new learning spaces in the library, and relocating the Admissions Office through a partial renovation of the Rogalski Center.
The Rogalski Center is also stated to become the university’s new entry point. The plan also calls for a complete interior renovation of Ambrose Hall, converting Davis Hall into an academic building, and adding courts for basketball, volleyball, pickleball, and tennis between McCarthy and Galvin.
For more information on the Master Plan, click here.
