New living/learning facility at the University of Illinois at Chicago breaks ground
By David Malone, Associate Editor
A new academic and residential complex is under construction on the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) campus. The facility will comprise a two-story academic classroom building and a 10-story undergraduate residence hall.
The $100 million Solomon Cordwell Buenz-designed complex will offer 550 beds in a mix of traditional dorm rooms and suite-style units. The building will also house 16,000 sf of shared spaces such as lounges for studying and student interaction, offices, laundry rooms, a fitness center, a 10th-floor sky lounge, and 1,600 sf of retail space expected to house a coffee shop.
The academic component of the project will include 51,000 sf of classroom space featuring three large lecture halls, active learning classrooms, several small group study rooms, a tutoring center, and collaboration spaces.
The building will use glass, light concrete panels, and natural materials and provide more transparent and well-lit environments than older UIC buildings. “The building was designed with a nod to Walter Netsch (the original architect of the campus),” says Jim Curtin, Design Principal, SCB, in a release.
The project is part of a public-private partnership between UIC and American Campus Communities. It is expected to be completed by July 2019.
