The final remodel, funded by an anonymous donor, is a product of student feedback about desired improvements, gathered via focus groups, surveys and interviews, Ramsey said.
"Collis is essentially a victim of its own success," Ramsey said. "The primary goal is to utilize the space most effectively for student needs."
As one of the most popular dining locations on campus, Collis Cafe experiences a high volume of traffic during standard meal hours, Dartmouth Dining Services Director David Newlove said. The new plan will expand the servery to the east wall of the building, which connects to the Collis Center patio, to effectively double its size.
New furnishings will be installed to maximize the dining space to its full capacity, with square tables replacing the current round ones. The square tables are more cost-efficient because they will not occupy too much space if someone is dining alone and can also be combined to accommodate larger groups, Newlove said.
"With the current dining situation, we will often see one girl occupy a large table by herself because no one is willing to sit down at the same table," Newlove said.
Although certain stations, such as the sushi bar and hot beverage stand, will be repositioned for optimal utilization of space, the menu will remain the same both during the renovation process and after it has been completed, Newlove said.
"We hired a food consultant to work on the flow of traffic," he said. "In order to get tea and a muffin right now, you have to cross all the people and traffic, so we are working to develop a better layout to make it easier for students to move about."
Administrators involved in the renovation planning process are well aware that Collis plays an integral role in student life at the College and selected the term for renovation that would be least disruptive, Ramsey said.
Jessica Ke '15 said that she thinks that the renovations are both well-timed and necessary.
"I've gotten hit in the face with way too many backpacks, and I also won't be here in the winter, so I'll miss most of it, which is excellent," Ke said.
All breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night serving hours will remain the same during the renovation, and food will be served out of Collis 101 until the renovations are complete, according to Newlove.
"During the construction period, Collis Cafe itself will be closed, but the kitchen will remain open," Newlove said.
Students said that the renovations will make Collis more accessible and enjoyable as a social and eating space, but some said they are concerned about how Collis Cafe will handle the venue change.
"I think it's really great that they are making the effort to accommodate students' dining preferences, but I'm a little nervous to see how they are planning to set up all the different stations they have in Collis 101," Sophie Palitz '13 said.
Collis Cafe will close on Nov. 18 and will reopen at the beginning of Spring term. The television lounge and Fuel social space are both scheduled to reopen mid-Spring term, according to Ramsey.
Some students said they are concerned about how the timeline of the project will impact their usage of the center during the months of renovation.
"It seems like it will be a lot of positive changes, but because of the impact it will have on ongoing student activities, I'm surprised they didn't decide to do it in the summer instead of winter," Tasha Bock '15 said.
There has also been a great deal of student demand for an updated Fuel space, the current multipurpose room next to Collis Market. The architects plan to install comfortable furniture, televisions, pool tables and pinball machines in the updated space to provide a new gaming room, Ramsey said.
With the opening of the Sarner Underground space in '53 Commons, Fuel has been rendered somewhat obsolete, and the renovations aim to revitalize its usage, Ramsey said.
The current Eight Ball Hall, located in room 14, will become a new movie and game lounge with updated televisions and electronic games, while the current television lounge, presently a joint walkway and lounge space, will become better organized, according to Newlove.
"Our goal is to make the distinction between the two spaces clearer by installing a counter that runs the length of the lounge," Newlove said.
The couches and televisions, to be mounted on the walls, will be effectively separated from the walkway, Newlove said.
Renovations will also allow Collis joint usage of the air handler that currently supplies the Class of 1953 Commons with air conditioning and heating. The Collis Center is frequented by students year-round, but the lack of air conditioning minimizes usage during the warmer months, according to Ramsey.
The architects also hope to consolidate the student governance organizations on the third floor of Collis, with an increase in work and computing areas for different organizations that are scattered throughout Robinson Hall and Collis, Newlove said.
Meeting rooms on the second and third floors of Collis will be relocated during renovations, and further office relocations will be announced once they are finalized.
Collis Cafe has not been renovated since 1993 and was only intended to be a small cafe, Ramsey said.
"So far, I have heard only positive feedback regarding the renovations," Newlove said. "We have consulted students for feedback and sought their involvement all along because we want to make sure that Collis remains in their daily life."
