Wayne State University Residence Halls

The 370-bed North Residence Hall was the first phase of the University’s goal of adding 5,000 housing units to the commuter campus.   A budget of $125/sf was the major generator of the design for this design/build project which is a simple six-story masonry bearing wall and concrete plank structure arranged in a double-loaded corridor configuration.  The majority of the building is comprised of two-bed apartments with bath, as well as a few single rooms.  The first floor includes offices for the University’s housing administration, retail space, a cafeteria and the Warrior Grill.

The South Hall is a 6-story, 465-bed facility which utilizes the same architectural vocabulary as the North Hall for unity, including the glass bay windows which identify each of the three study/social lounges per floor.  The South Hall’s U-shaped plan encloses a landscaped private courtyard for use by residents of both halls.  A double height multi-use space serves as an anchor for the southern end of the courtyard and as a complement to the dining facility of the North Hall.  A first floor enclosed link connects both buildings for the residents’ convenience.  The kitchen/servery capacity was master planned to accommodate 800-900 students.