Adohi Hall, a $79-million, 202,027-sf residence hall at the University of Arkansas, has recently become the largest mass timber building in the United States. Named for the Cherokee word for “woods,” the 708-bed facility is located on a four-acre site at the southern end of the campus and will provide a new university gateway that marks the start of the larger living learning district.
The project includes wood columns and exposed structural wood ceilings in student rooms, study rooms, floor lounges, and ground floor common spaces. The building’s exterior features a light metal jacket of zinc-toned panels with accents of textured copper-tone and white to create a floating band of living space above the natural landscape. A cascading series of outdoor spaces provides students and visitors with opportunities to gather and engage and pathways weave through existing strands of oak trees that provide shade to students in the warmer months.
Four stories of residential floors are arranged above the ground-floor communal spaces. Connected by a ground-level passage, a serpentine band of student rooms define three distinctive courtyard spaces that create a dynamic environment for student collaboration and interactive learning in architecture, design, and the arts. The “front porch” in the northernmost building is the key entry point for the complex and the “cabin” at the ground-level, central passage’s midpoint is the main gathering space. The cabin comprises a community kitchen, lounges, a hearth, and a rooftop terrace. The “workshops” of the lower courtyard house include performance spaces, music and recording studios, and maker spaces.
The residential floors each have their own double-height lounges and kitchen spaces, semi-suites for two students with private baths, and pods of six to eight double rooms with a shared bath and common room. Study rooms with large windows are at the end of each wing and create a series of “lanterns” when viewed from the exterior along Stadium Drive.
See Also: A new Atlanta-area STEM magnet school will feature a flexible modular design
Adohi Hall is meant to honor Cherokee tribe members who passed near the hall’s site while following the Trail of Tears and recognizes the importance of wood and sustainable forestry to the region.
Related Stories
University Buildings | Jan 27, 2023
Ozarks Technical Community College's advanced manufacturing center is first-of-a-kind in region
The new Robert W. Plaster Center for Advanced Manufacturing at Ozarks Technical Community College in Springfield, Mo., is a first-of-a-kind educational asset in the region. The 125,000-sf facility will educate and train a new generation in high tech, clean manufacturing and fabrication.
Student Housing | Jan 26, 2023
6 ways 'choice architecture' enhances student well-being in residence halls
The environments we build and inhabit shape our lives and the choices we make. NAC Architecture's Lauren Scranton shares six strategies for enhancing well-being in residence halls.
University Buildings | Jan 17, 2023
Texas Christian University breaks ground on medical school for Dallas-Fort Worth region
Texas Christian University (TCU) has broken ground on the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine, which aims to help meet the expanding medical needs of the growing Dallas-Fort Worth region.
ProConnect Events | Jan 16, 2023
6 more BD+C ProConnect Events in 2023 – The videos show why you should participate
ProConnects bring building product manufacturers and suppliers together with architects, contractors, builders, and developers to discuss upcoming projects and learn about new products and technical solutions.
Adaptive Reuse | Jan 12, 2023
Invest in existing buildings for your university
According to Nick Sillies of GBBN, students are increasingly asking: "How sustainable is your institution?" Reusing existing buildings may help answer that.
University Buildings | Dec 22, 2022
Loyola Marymount University completes a new home for its acclaimed School of Film and Television
California’s Loyola Marymount University (LMU) has completed two new buildings for arts and media education at its Westchester campus. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the Howard B. Fitzpatrick Pavilion is the new home of the undergraduate School of Film and Television, which is consistently ranked among the nation’s top 10 film schools. Also designed by SOM, the open-air Drollinger Family Stage is an outdoor lecture and performance space.
Adaptive Reuse | Dec 21, 2022
University of Pittsburgh reinvents century-old Model-T building as a life sciences research facility
After opening earlier this year, The Assembly recently achieved LEED Gold certification, aligning with the school’s and community’s larger sustainability efforts.
Sponsored | Resiliency | Dec 14, 2022
Flood protection: What building owners need to know to protect their properties
This course from Walter P Moore examines numerous flood protection approaches and building owner needs before delving into the flood protection process. Determining the flood resilience of a property can provide a good understanding of risk associated costs.
Adaptive Reuse | Dec 9, 2022
What's old is new: Why you should consider adaptive reuse
While new construction allows for incredible levels of customization, there’s no denying that new buildings can have adverse impacts on the climate, budgets, schedules and even the cultural and historic fabrics of communities.
Student Housing | Dec 7, 2022
9 exemplary student housing projects in 2022
Production continued apace this year and last, as colleges and universities, for-profit developers, and their AEC teams scrambled to get college residences open before the start of classes.