Our research shows that students in intentionally designed living-learning communities are more engaged in social and intellectual campus life than their peers in traditional residence halls. Michigan's first new residence hall in nearly 40 years immerses students in intellectual as well as social activity.
Three types of shared spaces support the University’s ambitious program: (1) spaces shared by academic departments; (2) spaces shared by building residents and their neighboring faculty/ programs; and (3) public community spaces including the Language Resource Center, Sweetland Writing Center, cafe and dining hall.
Single rooms and suites are arranged in residential neighborhoods, each with its own lounge, to foster a greater sense of belonging and a more home-like atmosphere within the large complex.
EYP was Executive Architect in partnership with Design Architect Robert A.M. Stern.
Building Facts
- 350,000 GSF
- 460 beds
Awards & Honors
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Solid Steel Competition
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“Build Michigan” Award
A Living-Learning Community
A media gateway provides a flexible space for students to gather.
Choices of soft seating give students more options for collaboration.
Dining Hall in North Quad.
Exterior view of North Quad.
Our research shows that students in intentionally designed living-learning communities are more engaged in social and intellectual campus life than their peers in traditional residence halls.
Living-Learning Research
Media Gateway
The Media Gateway, a high-tech black box, is one of the non-traditional spaces supporting living-learning. The space can be easily adapted for a wide range of uses including exhibitions and performances. Custom-built dividers on castors tailor the scale of the room to each learning experience. Access to technology, media and power is ubiquitous and easily accessible in the floor, walls and ceiling. A third of the program space is dedicated to storage.
Living-Learning ResearchDomino Effect
The earlier you build an energy model and the more systems you analyze, the greater the potential for annual energy and cost savings.
Energy modeling performed across multiple systems provides a domino effect of energy and cost savings, as each system's savings impacts the next. In addition to reducing the building's energy use and costs by 30% beyond the ASHRAE baseline, this approach also maximizes space. A reduction in building load allowed us to reduce the size of major HVAC equipment. Optimizing the size of mechanical spaces and pipe/duct chases throughout the building reduced construction costs and created more usable square feet for the client.
As American colleges and universities increasingly recognize the value of educating the “whole student,” the effect of campus residential life on various student outcomes – campus engagement, peer interactions, etc. – has been the subject of ongoing study. EYP is one of the first to systematically investigate the impact of the spatial environment itself on student development, attitudes, and outcomes. Our Living-Learning research findings offer colleges and universities, as well as architects and builders, key insights into how space types and usage impact student learning and development, so that they can maximize resources to enhance student experience. More
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