Back to Portfolio South Campus Commons

University of Maryland, College Park

Location College Park, MD

South Campus Commons has been developed as a public-private enterprise to develop new student housing within the University's historic South Campus.

The plan sensitively incorporates seven new buildings into the existing campus fabric by extending and improving existing pedestrian and vehicular circulation corridors and enhancing site vistas.

The team worked closely with the Dean of the School of Architecture and the Campus Planning staff to maintain the planning goals of the university in order to; reinforce pedestrian connections to the academic core. preserve views of University Chapel, and link the student residential area to the existing shops and restaurants of the adjoining town. The buildings themselves are designed as two and four bedroom apartments with much of their ground floor designed with classrooms, business centers, conference areas and community lounges to further enhance the living learning opportunities. By integrating academic functions within the dormitories, a true culture of learning has been created where academic, social and recreational pursuits inform one another.

The newest phase, Building 7, is an 8-story community for 368 students that achieved a LEED Gold Certification. To meet this goal, the design team and the university specified water conserving fixtures, high-efficiency heat pumps, a central domestic hot water system and a myriad of other green building methodologies that have helped lead a change in the way the university builds on campus.

In appreciation for being invited back to design all 7 buildings of South Campus Commons, the design team donated its services and worked together with our University partners to create a unique renovation of the existing historic Washington Quadrangle in South Campus. Prior to this renovation the site was a disparate group of dying trees, abandoned basketball courts and scale-less impervious surfaces. The renovation transforms the Quad into a vibrant outdoor room made of lawns, large shade trees and an integrated path system that weaves itself into the fabric of the campus. The new quad includes numerous amenities for the students and utilizes sustainable design strategies.

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