Abstract
University campuses provide both formal and informal learning opportunities to students. Dining facilities from the view point of common place are considered to be one of the places where most informal interactions would occur in a campus. The previous role highly depends on the place making qualities of the dining facility including the physical and social components. This study focuses on studying the actual patterns of use giving meaning to common place within the dining facilities. Data from five dining facilities of three universities campuses was collected and analyzed to understand the needs of users and the patterns of behaviors in relation to the physical features of the setting in general. The study concludes with providing recommendations to the planning and design of successful dining facilities as common place.
