3 Campus Space Optimization Tips from HubStar’s September Higher Ed Panel

In our second higher education virtual panel event on September 17th, we brought together three campus planning and facilities leaders from across the globe: 

• Stephanie Kleim – Planning and Design Manager at Canada’s Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, a polytechnic with 40,000 students and 5 million square feet of campus space 
• Satu Hyökki – Chief Campus Development Specialist at Tampere University, Finland’s second-largest university with 23,000 students and 42oo staff 
• Chris Morett – President at Co|Here Campus and Workplace, a consultancy specialized in campus space utilization and planning work, with a focus on ensuring spaces are well-used and mission-aligned 

Over the course of 45 minutes these leaders shared candid insights about their challenges, priorities and the right ways to improve student and staff on-campus experiences in 2025 and beyond. 

Here are the three most impactful takeaways from their discussion.

1) Campus space utilization data is essential, but success depends on how it’s communicated. 

All three panelists agreed that fact-based decision-making is non-negotiable for campus space optimization and turning hunches into reality. 

But as Satu from Tampere University put it, “Data alone doesn’t make anyone happy. You need to give context, show allocation opportunities, and explain costs of unused space.”

Stephanie’s experience at SAIT perfectly illustrates this principle. Utilization from occupancy sensors revealed that “we don’t have a real estate problem, we have a furniture and space allocation problem,“ Their 20 year-old space allocation standards, build for much larger desktop computers, needed an update. 

Data also eliminates subjective debates. As Stephanie noted, data “reduces anecdotal conversations and actually puts the truth behind things.“ 

Chris emphasized this point from a practical perspective: “If you come with space data, it shows your end users that you’re not just making it up.”

2) Start small with pilot approaches to get campus-wide traction. 

Rather than attempting campus-wide transformations, all three panellists agreed on pilots as the best approach, particularly for changes that provoke a lot of resistance like getting faculty to move to shared workspaces instead of private offices.

Chris had this actionable advice: “Find the willing first and provide them with a pathway to implementation. Do pilots where the stakes are low to get people comfortable.”

The finance department at SAIT became the perfect example of this approach. After a renovation during the pandemic meant the loss of 60 individual workstations, the team discovered they could operate effectively with everyone coming in two days per week instead of the three that was mandated. The finance team now has the highest utilization rates and the lowest footprint of any staff department. 

This success story is now driving interest across campus, with other departments asking for similar policies.

Similarly, Satu is taking a measured approach at Tampere, tracking occupancy in the main building for service staff with HubStar’s space utilization solution. By uncovering space allocation and optimization opportunities with the data, Satu’s team has fit accommodated seven teams in the building, with plans to add an eighth. 

3) Repurpose underutilized space into student collaboration areas.  

We asked our audience the hypothetical question of what they’d do if they could repurpose 10% of their existing campus space. 

Allocating it to student collaboration spaces narrowly took the lead, with downsizing for cost reduction purposes coming in a close second. 

This aligns perfectly with our panellists’ priorities.  Stephanie recently transformed vacant space into a student study hub with privacy pods and bookable team rooms, generating “nothing but positive feedback from students so far.” The success was so immediate that “faculty and staff want a space like that of their own.”

Her philosophy captures why this approach works: “Students are our why. They are why we are here. Without them, our campus presence wouldn’t exist.”

Chris added important nuance about location and accessibility: “It’s not just about the quantity of space, but the location. Getting to the library in winter isn’t always plausible.” Strategic placement of collaborative spaces throughout campus can significantly improve the student experience.