An Austin firm touts design and communal spaces in its student housing projects

As the coronavirus pandemic has subsided, traders and developers have revealed renewed desire in the pupil housing sector. One layout organization that has been capitalizing on that desire is Austin, Texas-based Rhode Associates, whose modern assignments have included nine off-campus pupil housing structures, with two more under design in Austin and Columbus, Ohio, that will be done by the summer of 2023.

Also in the works are 3 towers in Austin, every 30 tales tall, that when they’re delivered in 2025 and 2026 will slide in line with that city’s “upzoning,” which raised the peak limit for scholar housing to 300 toes, from 175 feet. Robert Tait, AIA, LEED AP, a Director with Rhode Associates, suggests that Austin has extensive inspired a lot more development so that learners could are living closer to campuses, dating again to the passage a dozen many years in the past of its University Community Overlay Program.

As has been the scenario for a even though, the good results of any pupil housing job typically rests with the facilities it offers. Tait confirms that it’s however a nuclear arms race out there between competitors, and Rhode Partners’ structures incorporate rock climbing, sand volleyball, and podcast spaces. Rhode, even though, also showcases its buildings’ style and design and facilities that market wellness and communal living. “Students crave neighborhood,” says Tait.

THE Even bigger, THE Far better

Past March, Linked Builders and Contractors gave its Pyramid Award in Design to the Rhode-made Torre Apartments, an 18-story university student housing tower positioned in the heart of the University of Texas at Austin’s West Campus community. The building’s tiered composition—including its 62-diploma setback on the north side—represents a layout reaction to distinct zoning constraints and software prerequisites. Inside, corridors have been taken out at alternating degrees at the townhouse tiers to produce extra roomy living regions and improve rental square footage.

Underneath building in Faculty Station, Texas, is a 300,000-sf 197-ft-tall Rhode Partners-developed developing whose 19 tales will present 298 housing units with 802 beds. Its design and style is knowledgeable by dramatic, rounded street corners on the north, west, and east sides that support produce an undulating façade. At degree 7 will be an amenity deck with an open up courtyard and pool. On the floor flooring will be the College Pupil Lutheran Center, analyze and meeting rooms, a health facility and clubhouse.

This project’s Making Workforce incorporates LEVY (interior style), Rogers O’Brien (GC), RLG Consulting Engineers (SE), VE Consulting Engineers (MEP), Jones Carter (CE), ECS (geotechnical engineer), and InfiniSys (very low voltage).

In Columbus, Ohio, where by Rhode Partners to start with developed a pupil housing center in 2014, the 5-tale Columbus Residences is underneath development. Its 228,000 sf will involve 143 housing units ranging from studios to five bedrooms. Its amenities will characteristic a pool deck, café, spa, physical fitness heart, clubroom, and study rooms. The making has been created to integrate into the bordering residential community with a brick, metallic paneling, and wood cladding façade with massive picture windows and modern day fixtures.

Elford, Inc. is the GC on this project, and is working with RLG Consulting Engineers (SE), McMullen Engineering (MEP), EP Ferries & Associates (CE), Geotechnical Consultants (geotechnical engineer), MKSK (landscape architect), and InfiniSys (reduced voltage). Austin-centered Parallel is the developer.

Tait says that Rhode Companions is hunting for pupil housing style and design prospects in other marketplaces. In its pipeline is a tower in Knoxville, Tenn., that is slated for completion in 2025. The scholar housing sector, he says, “is very thrilling suitable now.”