The architects of the Coles Redevelopment Plan requested student input for the new facilities at an open discussion hosted by the Student Senators Council at the Global Center for Academic and Spiritual Life on Thursday.

Students voiced what they want included in the new facility that will replace the Coles Sports Center, which will be designed by an architectural partnership between Davis Brody Bond and Kieran Timberlake.

Davis Brody Bond representative Carl Krebs, along with two associates, described their firm’s past projects before opening the floor to a question-and-answer session.

Bond said the plans are still in the development stages, and they are seeking student input.

“I think it is very important that we get a sense of what your priorities are,” Bond said. “What this building might mean in a day of your life and a way of transmitting some of those values that goes beyond the numbers, the facts, the percentages that often are the building blocks of such a building, without necessarily understanding the core, the spirit behind it.”.

LS sophomore Keagan Sakai-Kawada, senator and chief of staff for UCSL, said he thinks it is important for students to understand and have a voice in the Coles Redevelopment project.

“Something we have been really focusing on this year is being transparent with the student body, and really having their inputs on new developments in their university,” Kawada said. “That’s why we wanted this to happen.”

Student requests included more commuter space, a rooftop atrium and more space for Greek life and other NYU communities.

CAS freshman Arnav Sood said he is happy the architects are listening to student voices, and he wants to know more about how they plan on showcasing students’ diverse interests.

“I think it is really valuable for the university to do this, especially because they are getting input from all the sectors of society,” Sood said. “The one thing that I would have wanted to see more on is the culture of the building. So specifically in terms of performing arts, in terms of athletics, how they come together in the impression you get going in.”

Tisch freshman Ehrland Hollingsworth said he was skeptical about the Coles project at first, but would like to see the new building foster a community at NYU.

“Initially, I was like, ‘They’re just spending money,’ but after hearing about it, it sounded like a really great thing that I was excited about,” Hollingsworth said. “I would really like to see that sense of community built because it’s really absent at NYU. Right now there is no place, no real building that everyone kind of participates in.”

GLS sophomore Caterina Arian said she is excited to see students care about the future of NYU extending beyond their graduation date.

“I’m happy to see that NYU is growing in the right ways, and happy to see that students now are getting involved and want to make sure that the place is going to continue to grow in a healthy way, even though they won’t be able to see the benefits of it,” Arian said.

Email Katherine Stein at [email protected]