Student housing

Inspire on 22nd was made possible through a partnership with a campus ministry group and a prominent developer of nationwide student living to provide students with a contemporary, accessible housing option in the West Campus neighborhood of Austin, TX. The 18-story tower encompasses 129 furnished units along with mixed-use rooms to host large-scale and private worship services connected between the first and second floors. Jason O'Rear Jason O'Rear Jason O'Rear Jason O'Rear Jason O'Rear A sculptural, wood-clad stair connects both floors and serves as a focal point for public spaces where students can study and host game-watching parties. The plinth design was driven by the desire for a substantial street presence... More

Villas on Rio is a 284-unit high-rise in the heart of the University of Texas at Austin’s West Campus neighborhood. The building spans 19 floors, with the first and second floors serving as flexible study and lounge areas, and a mezzanine overlooking the lobby. Floor plans range from spacious studios to expansive townhomes with single and double-occupancy options, including efficiency “pods” that support density and affordability while maximizing square footage. Jason O'Rear Jason O'Rear Jason O'Rear Jason O'Rear The tower wraps around the historic Kenney House, a two-story Victorian home facing West 22nd Street. Full-height glass windows on the lower levels of the project feature views of the historic... More

The area of Sloterdijk, west of the city centre of Amsterdam, is undergoing a radical transformation. As a result of the 2008 financial crisis this initially mono-functional office area suffered high rates of vacancy. The lack of housing and public amenities lead to a decay of the environment as a whole. Reacting to the housing shortage crisis, the city of Amsterdam formulated a new zoning plan transforming vacant office buildings into short-stay apartments and allowing for additional 1,500 to 2,000 new dwellings to be built. Sonia Mangiapane The Student Village is built in the direct vicinity of the Sloterdijk Station. It is a modular structure based on a prefabricated student housing unit. The construction method and its low cost me... More

The Green Oaks Biological Research Station, situated in a forest in rural Illinois belonging to Knox College, builds on existing facilities to provide a platform for research, study, instruction and living in the heart of the College's forestry research habitat.  Subtle in its simplicity, the project uses an X-shaped plan to accommodate and also separate the various uses, responding to adjacent spaces, structures and landscapes while also referencing the X in the school's name.  Drawing on numerous architectural threads, the building takes inspiration from sources as diverse as the Jeffersonian University of Virginia campus and the iconic red barns of rural Illinois. asap/ adam sokol architecture practice asap/ adam sokol... More

Tooker House at Arizona State University is a new living/learning community designed to serve freshman engineering students. The seven-story, 458,000-square-foot project includes 1,582 beds for students in semi-suite units, staff apartments, a 525-seat dining hall, a convenience store, numerous dedicated student study and social lounges, and a fitness center. A large maker lab enjoys a prominent and highly visible location on the ground floor of the building, expanding the academic core of the campus and providing residents with space and resources to continue class work and experimental ideas at any time of day. Sliding glass walls allow activities to spill outdoors, where exhibition pedestals enable students to present their work and invi... More

Nestled at the north edge of Toronto is York University. The university has resided in the area since 1959 and now enrolls 53,000 students on average annually, with 300,000 alumni worldwide. York U ranks #4 in Maclean’s Education 2024 standings for “Canada’s Best Comprehensive Universities” slotting just behind Waterloo and ahead of Carleton. For such a prestigious and well-known university, adequate student housing would help this continuing trend of success. Courtesy of The Quad at York University As a result, York University opened The Quad at York, a mixed-use building, in 2018. Phase II opened in October of 2022. Phase II of The Quad features many of the same benefits as Phase I. Both are mixed-use facilit... More

Recognizing the critical need to accommodate its growing academic programs, NYU engaged Davis Brody Bond and KieranTimberlake to replace its one-story Coles Sports Center with a new mixed-use development to hold a diverse array of performing arts programs, rehearsal studios, and performance venues, as well as first-year student and faculty housing. Spacesmith designed and selected all the furnishings for the 735,000 sf building. In addition to the functional and aesthetic aspects, our team was tasked with specifying furniture with low emitting materials and third party testing in order to assist with LEED certification.  Caption Caption Caption Caption Caption Caption Photo credit: Connie Zhou / JBSA More

The Hubr company decided to build their first Spanish hall of residence in the city of Madrid. In contrast to the typical50s style building and the well-mannered Madrid neighborhood of Salamanca where it is located, the proposal tries to generate a contemporary atmosphere with the idea of connecting with its young residents. Mariela Apollonio Thus, continuous pavements, walls and color signage together with exposed facilities in public spaces lead to achieve the purpose. In contrast, the rooms present more conservative materials such as wooden floors, ceramic tiles or plasterboard ceilings. Mariela Apollonio The brick facade to the street, as a protected heritage, was to be fully respected preserving its image and, consequently... More

In Amsterdam East, Mei is designing the first buildings in the development of the Sluisbuurt; a new urban district on the Zeeburgereiland. Commissioned by the DUWO Foundation, Mei will design two unique residential buildings on lot 5A2 and lot 6B2. The buildings will be part of a - for the Netherlands still unprecedented - metropolitan living environment in which high-rise is combined with a lively and dynamic ground level, and meeting and interaction are central. Plot 5A2 and 6B2, which will facilitate housing for students and young people, are located in the heart of the district and will serve as a catalyst for the further development of this green, sustainable neighborhood. Residential towers full of identityThe residential buildings a... More

St Andrew’s Hall in Parkville is home to a training facility for the Church Missionary Society of Australia (CMS). The Learning Centre and Accommodation Redevelopment project comprises a complete restoration of the original 19th century house and new student accommodation and teaching building. Responding to the ornate fretwork and detail of St Andrew’s Hall, the development is wrapped in a geometric patterned metalwork screen. This serves as solar control to the northern and western facades, and manages privacy to the development’s northern neighbours. Overall, the development reflects a considered and respectful approach to the site’s heritage, and will provide the ‘missionaries in training’ a welcomi... More

Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity (AFSE) is an Indigenous-led social change fellowship program based at University of Melbourne. JCB was appointed as the Lead Indigenous Architect to design an inspiring and culturally safe space for staff and visitors, and a welcoming place for Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders from Australia and the Pacific to collaborate. Located on level 5 of Building 168 within the UoM New Student Precinct, the existing fit-out was highly cellular, characterised by enclosed offices and meeting rooms, high windowsills and poor visual permeability and natural daylight. The design incorporates a Welcome space, Knowledge room, Kitchen, amenities, open and enclosed offices, and an Elders’ Lounge. The layout and ad... More