Student Housing

Design and Development

Spring 2017

- My final college project was a student housing facility for Duquesne’s campus near downtown Pittsburgh. The campus is fairly dense due to it’s growth and proximity to the heart of the city - so our only site to build was on the existing football field. My design “pushed” the football field to the North to create space for the building and the auditorium-styled seating underneath it. Some key elements integrated in the design were to leave the first floor nearly transparent for the public and for students passing through. The entire building offered views of the football field from every level, while still providing privacy to the student’s living quarters on the third and fourth floors.

These living spaces were to be geared towards the upperclassmen; having all the amenities of an efficiency apartment while still being decently compact in space. The third floor consisted of “doubles” while the fourth consisted of “singles.” The units could all be accessed through a wide terrace facing the football field, which also acted as a social space. Privacy for the units was created through a double-wall fencing design that still allowed plenty of natural lighting to the spaces. Vertical circulation to the living quarters and all floors of the building acted as bookends to the structure, with wide staircases and elevators in each to accommodate a constant flow of traffic.

Designing the Units

The units were designed with the amenities of a small home and meant to accommodate either one or two people. Both units have a small outdoor space within the privacy fence and the front entry. They also incorporated many various strategies to save space. The single unit has a murphy bed to create a living space during the day and sleeping quarters at night. The double unit contains a set of bunk beds. Both units have a swiveling table designaa to be stored against the fridge when not in use. The heating and ventilation systems can reverse depending on the season, allowing heat to rise from the floor and cooling to fall from the ceiling.