California Northstate Receives Approval on New Modular Residence Hall

A private for-profit university in northern California has received city approval to build a new on-campus dormitory for its medical students. California Northstate University, located near Sacramento, will be constructing a five-story, 104,500 square-foot student dormitory on its Rancho Cordova campus, with 400 rooms in two separate buildings. Construction plans also include a separate free-standing, 9,237-square-foot cafeteria building with another 16 rooms.

Architectural rendering of approved residence halls.

CNSU has colleges of pharmacy, medicine, psychology and health sciences at two campuses. The university wants to expand enrollment to include international students. "In order to do so, they need to provide housing options," according to public documents.

The building will be located on the site of an "underused" parking lot next to the existing Health Science College campus, which typically enrolls around 300 students. Amenities will include laundry facilities, a lounge and a recreation room. On-site vehicle, electric charge stations and bicycle parking are also part of the plans.

According to campus leadership, architecture of the dormitory will include both modern and traditional design elements, with "hipped roofs," canopies and horizontal lines with cream to light brown alternating colors. The building will use modular construction, being manufactured off-site and assembled on campus. The exterior of the building will then be constructed on the outside of the modular units once they're assembled. Design was done by Edmond Jacobs, an architect in Modesto, CA.

The university said it was investing $30 million in the project.

The campus also announced plans to build a medical center in Elk Grove, which was expected to be completed in 2022.

University President and CEO, Alvin Cheung, said in a statement that the Rancho Cordova City Council and its staff "worked diligently" to keep the dorm project compatible with the surrounding business park. "The city was great to work with and we look forward to bringing more educational facilities to Rancho Cordova," he noted.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • KI Launches K–12 Classroom Furniture Giveaway

    Contract furniture company KI recently announced the launch of its fourth-annual Classroom Furniture Giveaway, which awards $50,000 each to four K–12 educators across the U.S., according to a news release. The goal is to address decreasing student engagement and increasing teacher burnout numbers by updating learning spaces to accommodate modern needs.

  • Armstrong World Industries Acquires Geometrik

    Armstrong World Industries, designer and manufacturer of interior and exterior architectural applications like ceilings, walls, and metal solutions, recently announced its acquisition of Canada-based Geometrik, according to a news release. The British Columbian Geometrik specializes in designing and manufacturing wood acoustical and wall systems.

  • Delta State University Completes Renovations to School of Nursing Facilities

    Delta State University recently completed a major expansion and renovation project for the Robert E. Smith School of Nursing facilities on its campus in Cleveland, Miss., according to a news release. The project includes about 14,000 square feet of new construction and more than 21,000 square feet of renovation work to the existing space.

  • Average Annual Number of Tornadoes per State

    New Tornado Wind Load Design Criteria in IBC Offer Improvements to Life Safety

    For the first time in U.S. building code history, the 2024 International Building Code (IBC) includes tornado wind load design criteria, marking a significant advancement in life-safety provisions.

Digital Edition