University of Massachusetts
Commonwealth Honors College Residential Community

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Project

Commonwealth Honors College Residential Community

Client

University of Massachusetts

Location

Amherst, MA

Completion

2013

Size

515,600 SF

Certification

LEED Silver Certified

Category

Residence Halls

This residential complex provides 1,500 beds in seven buildings for the Honors Program of UMass Amherst, in the heart campus. Seven new buildings are organized around intimately scaled court-yards. The buildings step down the hillside, creating the sense of an academic village for the Honors College, with a series of open outdoor quads for students to gather. The project brings together Honors College students in a mix of unit types, including approximately 600 beds of singles and doubles, and 900 beds in suites and apartments.

A principle concern was organizing the several buildings so that they could reach out to important adjacent sports and recreation precincts and connect to major campus pathways. As these paths cross through the site, they lead to a variety of outdoor gathering spaces – some hardscape, and some lawn. In turn, the buildings work together to create an Academic Village with a vibrant central hub.

Awards + Recognition

2016 National AIA Specialized Housing Award

2015 AGC of Massachusetts Build New England Merit Award

Project Consultants

Structural Engineer | LeMessurier Consultants, Inc.

Mechanical / Electrical Engineer | Rist-Frost-Shumway Engineering

Civil Engineer | Stantec

Landscape Architect | Stantec

Interior Designer | Lab [3.2] Architecture

Lighting Consultant | Horton Lees Brogden Design Group

Photographer | Robert Benson

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