A decade after completing two student housing projects for Austin College in Sherman, Texas, KWA Construction, which specializes in multifamily developments throughout the Lone Star State, reconnected with the college recently to build North Flats, a three-story 43,613-sf residence hall that added 38 units to the campus’s housing stock.
Dallas-based KWA completed North Flats last month. In 2011, it completed Phase I, which included Hass Village on Grand and The Flats at Brockett Court that combined provided 38 housing units within an aggregate 86,623 sf.
“KWA was specifically selected because of the performance of the previous phase,” says Brian Webster, the construction firm’s President. “This student housing project required a quick turnaround to ensure timely completion and adequately prepare the college for Fall semester move-ins.”
The objective of the latest project was to keep pace with the school’s growing enrollment. Founded in 1849, Austin College is Texas’s oldest institution of higher learning operating under its original charter. Its 100-acre campus is host to 1,288 students from 30 states and 14 countries.
COVID-19 PROTOCOLS IN PLACE IN STUDENT HOUSING
Each of North Flats' 38 housing units includes a full kitchen and common living space.
Construction of North Flats took exactly one year, opening in time to accommodate fall classes that began on Tuesday, August 25. The new building houses about 130 students. Similar to The Flats at Brockett Court, the new student housing building is located near the campus’s Jordan Family Language House, which offers an immersive residential learning experience in five languages.
“We believe the residential experience for our students deepens and enriches their education and further prepares them for lives of learning and success after they graduate,” says Steven P. O’Day, the college’s President
Architecture Demerest designed North Flats to match the bright Victorian building style of the rest of the campus. Each of its units includes one to four bedrooms, a full kitchen, washer and dryer, a common living area, and built-in workstations.
The 100-acre campus is enforcing protocols to stem any spread of the coronavirus.
Like every college and university that is allowing in-person classes this Fall, Austin College is monitoring the coronavirus. According to a YouTube video it posted about its safety protocols, the school remodeled its dining hall this summer to ensure that Austin College is following best practices for food service. Outside spaces now have WiFi access. Entrances and exits are managed by wayfinding and signage. The school’s maintenance provider, Aramark, has added staff for high-intensity cleaning of common areas.
Everyone on campus is required to wear a face covering, inside and outside when social distancing isn’t possible. Students, faculty and staff are also required to assess their own health daily, and report COVID-19 symptoms. The college is working with Texoma Medical Center and state and local experts on various plans and protocols that may arise.
Related Stories
Higher Education | Apr 13, 2023
Higher education construction costs for 2023
Fresh data from Gordian breaks down the average cost per square foot for a two-story college classroom building across 10 U.S. cities.
Urban Planning | Apr 12, 2023
Watch: Trends in urban design for 2023, with James Corner Field Operations
Isabel Castilla, a Principal Designer with the landscape architecture firm James Corner Field Operations, discusses recent changes in clients' priorities about urban design, with a focus on her firm's recent projects.
Market Data | Apr 11, 2023
Construction crane count reaches all-time high in Q1 2023
Toronto, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Denver top the list of U.S/Canadian cities with the greatest number of fixed cranes on construction sites, according to Rider Levett Bucknall's RLB Crane Index for North America for Q1 2023.
University Buildings | Apr 11, 2023
Supersizing higher education: Tracking the rise of mega buildings on university campuses
Mega buildings on higher education campuses aren’t unusual. But what has been different lately is the sheer number of supersized projects that have been in the works over the last 12–15 months.
Contractors | Apr 10, 2023
What makes prefabrication work? Factors every construction project should consider
There are many factors requiring careful consideration when determining whether a project is a good fit for prefabrication. JE Dunn’s Brian Burkett breaks down the most important considerations.
Smart Buildings | Apr 7, 2023
Carnegie Mellon University's research on advanced building sensors provokes heated controversy
A research project to test next-generation building sensors at Carnegie Mellon University provoked intense debate over the privacy implications of widespread deployment of the devices in a new 90,000-sf building. The light-switch-size devices, capable of measuring 12 types of data including motion and sound, were mounted in more than 300 locations throughout the building.
Collegiate Stadiums | Apr 4, 2023
6 examples of modern college training facilities
HOK discusses the future of college training facilities, with six design takeaways derived from a discussion between Dan Radakovich, Director of Athletics at the University of Miami, and Trevor Bechtold, Director, HOK’s Sports + Recreation + Entertainment practice.
Education Facilities | Apr 3, 2023
Oklahoma’s Francis Tuttle Technology Center opens academic center for affordable education and training
Oklahoma’s Francis Tuttle Technology Center, which provides career-specific training to adults and high school students, has completed its Francis Tuttle Danforth Campus—a two-story, 155,000-sf academic building. The project aims to fill the growing community’s rising demand for affordable education and training.
Designers | Mar 28, 2023
Inclusive design requires relearning how we read space
Pulling from his experience during a campus design workshop, David Johnson, AIA, LEED AP, encourages architects to better understand how to design spaces that are inclusive for everyone.
Education Facilities | Mar 15, 2023
DLR Group’s Campus Planning Studio defines new leadership
Linsey Graff named Campus Planning Leader. Krisan Osterby transitions to Senior Planner.