Southern Methodist University has recently completed the expansion of their Residential Commons that will allow for on-campus living for all first and second-year students.
At a cost of $146 million, it is the largest single campus building project that SMU has developed in its 103-year history. The total nine-acre complex includes five different residential halls with a housing capacity of 1,250 students. Also included are the 800-space Mustang Parking Center and the new Arnold Dining Commons.
Each building in the Residential Commons Complex incorporates differences in floor plans, colors and finishes, sight lines and view corridors, as well as a variety of nooks and gathering places within each Commons. Other features include study rooms, lounges and other gathering areas, as well as an entry-level living room, a kitchenette, a game room and a laundry room.
The Arnold Dining Commons will seat 500 students in indoor and outdoor settings and will enable monthly dinner gatherings for residents of each Commons. Meals will be made-to-order and served from seven stations including a wood-burning pizza oven and home cooking, fresh produce and international menu stations. The Arnold Dining Commons also has the capacity to host gatherings of students to view broadcast sporting events, live concerts and other cultural and conference activities.
With completion of the newest addition to the Residential Commons model of campus living at SMU, a total of eleven residence halls now serve the SMU student body. This campus living model promotes a strong residential community, allowing students to transition more smoothly to campus life and to enhance personal growth.
During the construction of this high-quality project, protection of finishes became crucial to ensuring a perfect aesthetic at the end of the construction and move-in phases. Construction Protection Systems added significant value to the construction process by providing products to protect hundreds of expensive doors from incidental damage.
Hopefully the new changes and additions to the Residential Commons in SMU will lead to more students connecting with one another and pursuing their goals within a more interactive campus community.
Source: http://www.smu.edu/News/2014/residential-commons-09april2014