Written by: Astrid Lang
With the start of the spring semester of 2023, the campus of Ritsumeikan APU opened a new academic building, as well as the student living space AP House 5, in connection with the newly established College of Sustainability and Tourism. The new building, which is situated between the library and Building B, has been finished in February 2023. It can easily be recognized by its new and modern look, from the outside, as well as from the inside.
Providing students of APU with new areas to study and learn, Green Commons or J Building – which is the name of the building – has gained a lot of popularity in the first few months after its opening. The name “Green Commons” has been decided in accordance with the university’s aim to create a sustainable, renewable, and green future. The term “Green” comes with the goal of reducing CO2 emissions. In combination with “Commons”, which stands for the vision of creating a space for students and communities to exchange and collaborate with one another, the full name “Green Commons” was created. Proposals for the name could be submitted by faculty, students, and members of staff.
The new buildings have been under planning since 2021 in order to enable the increased number of students to have the best possible experience during their studies at Ritsumeikan APU.
Consisting of three floors, Green Commons offers the possibility of studying in various settings, either together with other students or alone, in a separate room or in an open space with many people around, as well as in a group setting – in Green Commons everything is possible. There are also private study and group rooms available, which can be reserved online. When students need a break during a long day of classes or in-between study sessions, the new building also introduced a brand-new café to the campus. The “Olive Cafe” is situated on the backside of the first floor and has many delicious snacks and drinks to suit everyone’s taste. Right next to the cafe, there are seating possibilities where students can gather and study.
During warm days, students furthermore have the option to sit outside the building, either on the terrace or on one of the benches just in front of the entrance.
There is a great variety of different classrooms, which can be used for big lectures, as well as group work rooms. Additionally, faculty research offices, as well as community collaboration spaces can be found in the building. But besides these areas, students have the possibility to take use of meeting rooms, a project room, galleries, and lounges. Furthermore, there are various “cozy commons”, cafe commons, as well as inclusive restrooms.
A variety of common areas allows the students to choose the best place for them to study, no matter what their preferences are. Immediately after entering the building, one can see a big and open space, constructed with a lot of wooden features. Here, students can choose between quiet study areas and group workspaces, which are known as “Satoyama Gallery” and “Green Commons Stage”. The wooden staircase, which leads to the second floor, can also be used as a place to study and relax.
New collaborative classrooms have been built in all floors of the building. The main goal of these new classrooms is to foster the sharing of ideas and communication. Besides regular classrooms with adjustable table settings, there is a room with an observation floor, which has been specially designed for presentations.
Just like all the other buildings on the campus of APU, Green Commons is barrier-free to enable access for everyone and increase inclusivity and comfort. Besides regular restrooms, the new building additionally offers accessible toilets on all three floors. To enable comfortable access and usage of the building for all different levels of mobility, there are automatic doors and elevators on all floors.
With the wooden structure, APU wants to contribute to the reduction of CO2, which will moreover influence the realization of a society that is carbon-neutral. It furthermore stands as a symbol for APU’s philosophy of strengthening human resources to realize such a society.
Through the many openings and windows, the new building has a warm and welcoming atmosphere with a lot of light entering into all areas. Green Commons is accessible to students of all colleges, majors, and semesters, so be sure to visit it and explore the different opportunities!