University Village Suites wins design award
University Village Suites wins design award
By Shawn Jenkins
Kennesaw…
Georgia
(Aug 28, 2009) —
University Village Suites wins design award
By Shawn Jenkins
Kennesaw State University’s newest student housing facility was recognized by a prominent
education industry magazine as a “Project of Distinction Winner” in their 2009 Education
Design Showcase Awards.
University Village Suites was awarded the honor by College Planning & Management magazine in their June 2009 issue. The 915-bed residence hall completed in July 2008
was noted for its sustainability, its safety features and a communal design that promotes
an engaged, integrated living experience for incoming freshmen.
“All our key stake holders contributed their expertise about facility design and
struck a critical balance between what the millennial generation wants and what they
need,” said KSU Residence Life director Michael Sanseviro. “This tremendous honor
underscores the importance of creating housing facilities that have the college freshmen
psyche in mind.”
Noting that the university lacked the long-standing tradition and long-term attachment
of older institutions, the KSU Foundation set out to create a freshman housing model
that emphasized a positive living-learning environment that would result in a rich
and memorable college experience.
To that end, University Village Suites features individual bedrooms for each student,
with a shared kitchenette and bathroom area. Community gathering spaces, Jittery Joes
café in the lobby, flat-screen TVs in the game room and furniture designed with a
group gaming environment in mind enhance the social atmosphere of the dormitory.
University Village Suites’ developer, University Housing Services, is a leader in
the development of sustainable student housing and worked with the Foundation to produce
a design that was in step with the sustainability objectives in the university’s five-year
strategic plan.
“We greatly reduced the facility’s carbon footprint in a number of ways,” said Bob
Mills, executive vice president of UHS. “One thing we did was to maximize natural
light. If you walk down any hallway there is light at the end. I tend to believe that
people are like plants — we like light.”
University Village Suites incorporates high-efficiency fluorescent fixtures, proximity
sensors, electric circuit timers, double-pane windows and ceiling fans. Water consumption
is reduced through high-efficiency toilets, reduced-flow shower heads and an underground
cistern that recaptures storm runoff for landscape irrigation.
A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 41,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and the second-largest university in the state. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the region and from 126 countries across the globe. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.
