The University of Arkansas’s new 202,027-sf, 708-bed residence hall, dubbed the Stadium Drive Residence Halls, is set to become the first large-scale mass timber residence hall and living learning setting in the country.
The project is currently under construction on a linear four-acre site that slopes from north to south. Within this relatively small, densely planted buffer zone the project is shaped by the concept of “a cabin in the woods” that provides a new university gateway. A serpentine band of student rooms defines three protected and distinctive courtyard spaces.
Rendering courtesy Leers Weinzapfel Associates, Modus Studios, Mackey Mitchell
The north building includes a “front porch” that is the main entry point of the complex and a “cabin” at the passage’s midpoint that is the main gathering space. The “cabin” includes a community kitchen, lounges, a quiet hearth, and a rooftop terrace. The lower courtyard includes workshops that comprise performance spaces, music and recording studios, and maker spaces.
Student rooms are arranged in wings that comprise semi-suites for two students and pods for six to eight students. Study rooms at the end of each wing are naturally lit via large windows and create a series of “lanterns” along Stadium Drive. The buildings’ inner cores feature two-story lounges with residential kitchens designed for community interaction between the upper and lower floors.
Wood is on full display throughout the project with exposed structural wood ceilings present in student rooms, study rooms, floor lounges, and ground-level common spaces. The “cabin” also includes wood ceilings and trusses that span the full width of the lounges.
Rendering courtesy Leers Weinzapfel Associates, Modus Studios, Mackey Mitchell
The exterior of the project highlights metal. Zinc-toned siding with accent panels of textured copper-toned and white siding creates a floating band of living space above the natural landscape. A ground-level passage winds through the landscape and connects the various courtyards.
The project, which is the result of a design collaborative led by Leers Weinzapfel Associates, Modus Studio, Mackey Mitchell Architects, and OLIN is scheduled for completion in fall 2019.
Related Stories
Mass Timber | Sep 1, 2023
Community-driven library project brings CLT to La Conner, Wash.
The project, designed by Seattle-based architecture firm BuildingWork, was conceived with the history and culture of the local Swinomish Indian Tribal Community in mind.
Products and Materials | Aug 31, 2023
Top building products for August 2023
BD+C Editors break down 15 of the top building products this month, from frameless windscreens to smart fixture mount sensors.
Mass Timber | Jul 11, 2023
5 solutions to acoustic issues in mass timber buildings
For all its advantages, mass timber also has a less-heralded quality: its acoustic challenges. Exposed wood ceilings and floors have led to issues with excessive noise. Mass timber experts offer practical solutions to the top five acoustic issues in mass timber buildings.
Building Materials | Jun 14, 2023
Construction input prices fall 0.6% in May 2023
Construction input prices fell 0.6% in May compared to the previous month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data released today. Nonresidential construction input prices declined 0.5% for the month.
Mass Timber | Jun 13, 2023
Mass timber construction featured in two-story mixed-use art gallery and wine bar in Silicon Valley
The Edes Building, a two-story art gallery and wine bar in the Silicon Valley community of Morgan Hill, will prominently feature mass timber. Cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glulam posts and beams were specified for aesthetics, biophilic properties, and a reduced carbon footprint compared to concrete and steel alternatives.
Mass Timber | Jun 2, 2023
First-of-its-kind shake test concludes mass timber’s seismic resilience
Last month, a 10-story mass timber structure underwent a seismic shake test on the largest shake table in the world.
Mass Timber | May 23, 2023
Luxury farm resort uses CLT framing and geothermal system to boost sustainability
Construction was recently completed on a 325-acre luxury farm resort in Franklin, Tenn., that is dedicated to agricultural innovation and sustainable, productive land use. With sustainability a key goal, The Inn and Spa at Southall was built with cross-laminated and heavy timber, and a geothermal variant refrigerant flow (VRF) heating and cooling system.
Mass Timber | May 3, 2023
Gensler-designed mid-rise will be Houston’s first mass timber commercial office building
A Houston project plans to achieve two firsts: the city’s first mass timber commercial office project, and the state of Texas’s first commercial office building targeting net zero energy operational carbon upon completion next year. Framework @ Block 10 is owned and managed by Hicks Ventures, a Houston-based development company.
Mass Timber | May 1, 2023
SOM designs mass timber climate solutions center on Governors Island, anchored by Stony Brook University
Governors Island in New York Harbor will be home to a new climate-solutions center called The New York Climate Exchange. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), The Exchange will develop and deploy solutions to the global climate crisis while also acting as a regional hub for the green economy. New York’s Stony Brook University will serve as the center’s anchor institution.
Mass Timber | Mar 19, 2023
A 100% mass timber construction project is under way in North Carolina
An office building 100% made from mass timber has started construction within the Live Oak Bank campus in Wilmington, N.C. The 67,000-sf structure, a joint building venture between the GCs Swinerton and Wilmington-headquartered Monteith Construction, is scheduled for completion in early 2024.