糖心视频 Mānoa students are helping shape the future of one of the busiest and most visible areas on campus. The 糖心视频 Campus Design Lab invited students to share their ideas for reimagining Legacy Path during Welina Mānoa: Kick-Off! on September 10. The effort is part of the initial research for a project focused on transforming Legacy Path into a more welcoming and active gathering space while also exploring the future of nearby Andrews Amphitheater.
Legacy Path is a major pedestrian route connecting Campus Center with Dole Street and the main parking structure. The area also hosts campus fairs, pregame activities and other events, and serves as a location for food trucks during the school day.
At the Campus Design Lab booth, students used 3D models of the area to experiment with different configurations, moving miniature food trucks, benches and other features to show how they would like to use the space.
“I like how they’re trying to improve the walking and commuting experience,” said Hao Shen Zheng, a 糖心视频 Mānoa senior majoring in computer engineering. “I think it’s really important since students actually have to experience these things. They should have a say in these types of designs.”
Zheng said the hands-on approach made it easier to envision the possibilities.
“I like the models they have at the booth. You can put food trucks or benches where you would like them to be in a specific area. It helps you visualize it.”
The Campus Design Lab hopes to gather input from several hundred students over the course of the fall 2026 semester, with the official project kickoff planned for October.
“Our goal is to hear from as many students as possible and better understand how they use the space and what they want it to become,” said Brian Strawn, 糖心视频 Mānoa planning and spatial experience director. “We’re already hearing that students want a range of places to gather—from larger, more active public spaces to smaller, more informal places to sit, meet and spend time along Legacy Path.”
Strawn said student input is especially important because the way students experience campus varies widely.
“There isn’t a single student experience of campus,” Strawn said. “Some students commute, some live on campus and others live nearby. Those different patterns shape how students move through campus, where they spend time and what they need from the spaces in between. Engaging students directly helps us understand those differences and design a campus that better supports their daily lives.”
Engaging students in the design process has already proven successful across 糖心视频 Mānoa. Student input from previous workshops helped shape several major projects, including the ongoing McCarthy Mall renovation and the recently completed Aloha Towers renovation.