The Pennsylvania State University Abington Campus sought to improve the existing student-room social space, known as The Intersection, as a short-term solution while they evaluated the feasibility of constructing a new larger Student Union.

As the only space on campus dedicated to use for student activities, The Intersection plays an important role in the life of the school. It was used for a variety of purposes (student lounge, informal meeting space, performance venue), despite its low ceiling, absence of exterior windows, and inefficient configuration. The VMA design for the complete renovation of the space added full-height windows to the corridor and exterior and brightly colored surfaces to enliven the space, and installed a new ceiling and light fixtures to provide more even light distribution. Fixed furniture along the perimeter creates well-defined activity spaces, while easily movable furniture elsewhere provides a necessary degree of flexibility. Simple but comprehensive AV capabilities let students switch easily from watching a movie to listening to a live coffee house-style acoustic performance.