University of Arkansas Goes Green with New South Terrace at Arkansas Union

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas unveiled the newest addition to the Arkansas Union – the South Terrace – on Tuesday, Oct. 29. This space provides a more casual and personal place for students to study, eat and socialize. While the terrace will provide both a covered and open outdoor seating area, it also helps the Union and university move forward with continued efforts to make the campus more environmentally sustainable.

The South Terrace was developed by the university in response to student requests for a quieter area outdoors around the Union as an alternative to to the sometimes more distracting events that occur on the Central Quad between the Union and Mullins Library. To meet the needs of current and future U of A students the university included more than 60 electrical outlets to charge laptops and other electronic devices in a place that can fit approximately 100 students. The terrace also includes an outdoor fireplace, environmentally sustainable IPE wood with a 75-year life span and a slip and splinter free surface, and a computer bar area with stools and chairs created from recycled post-consumer milk jugs. There are also areas reserved for the future installation of solar panels.

Vegetation along the sides of the terrace adds to the more private and relaxed atmosphere of the South Terrace. Tangerine Beauty Crossvine will grow alongside the terrace giving the area additional shade and helping to fight the carbon dioxide released at the nearby Union Bus Depot. The crossvine along with Pink Muhly Grass helps give the terrace its quiet and reflective mood. Students can enjoy a drink or meal from either Au Bon Pain or Freshens both of which have direct access onto the South Terrace. The terrace space also has a fireplace, features LED lighting to expand the hours students can use the space, and has built-in and moveable seating.

“With the success and the quick adoption of the Union’s newest addition, the Arkansas Union staff is looking into renovating the terrace on the north side along the International Connections Lounge,” said Sue Donohue Smith, associate director of the Arkansas Student Union. “There are different possibilities about what  we hope to do with the space, most likely, a continuation of the South Terrace’s aesthetic while providing somewhat larger tables for more group activity space as opposed the more personal relaxation zone the South Terrace provides.”