Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Valparaiso University: Beacon Hall

  • 02/01/15
Valparaiso University: Beacon Hall

PHOTOS © MARIUSZ MIZERA

In February 2013, the design-build team of FGM Architects/Mortenson Construction began planning Valparaiso University’s Beacon Hall; the first new residence hall identified in the Indiana-based school’s recently adopted campus master plan. The campus plan envisions supportive and responsive student living environments through the phased replacement or renovation of many of the existing 1960s-era residence halls and establishes the Collegiate Gothic style for campus residences.

The 85,550-square-foot, 292-bed Beacon Hall features two-, three- and four-bedroom room suites with doubles and singles, each with shared baths. Community spaces include a ground floor living room and fireplace and a commons adjacent to the courtyard with views to the campus beyond. Shared space on the typical floors encompasses a variety of study rooms — some quiet, some open and more socially oriented — kitchenettes and recreation/support spaces. A non-denominational prayer room supports the university’s faith-based mission.

“One project goal was to provide a transition between the all-shared facilities of freshman year to full apartment-style communities of upper-class students,” states Brandon Lipman, principal at FGM Architects. “FGM/Mortenson and the university project planning committee, including deans, Residential Life, facilities staff and students, carefully considered Valparaiso’s culture and mission and reviewed alternative models of in-suite living arrangements in order to develop the hall’s ‘transitional’ suite model.”

The project’s 12-month construction timeline required FGM/Mortenson to select building systems to meet both this ambitious schedule and the university’s goals of an enriching residential experience, craftsmanship, sustainability, high quality and maintainability. In response, the team utilized prefabricated, brick-faced structural/architectural precast concrete and unitized bathroom pods. Prefabrication allowed for accelerated, cost-effective construction.

This past fall, students entered Beacon Hall’s “house” pavilion and began enjoying their new home away from home.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Wisconsin District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The School District of La Crosse in La Crosse, Wis., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff of two existing schools, according to local news. Funding for the school comes from a $53-million referendum approved in 2024.

  • University of Oklahoma Announces New Campus Master Plan

    The University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., recently announced that it will soon launch a new, comprehensive Campus Master Plan to guide the campus’ physical development during the next decade, according to a news release.

  • Full Sail University Announces First Student Housing Facility

    Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla., recently announced that development has begun on its first student housing community, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Nvision Development for construction and long-term management of the facility, which will stand five stories and have the capacity for more than 570 beds.

  • University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Launches New Emergency Communications System

    The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) recently deployed a new emergency notification and incident management system for its campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with 911Cellular to launch Safe@UTC, a smartphone app allowing university officials to communicate and respond during emergency situations.