Purdue Dedicates $90 Million Academic Residential College

  • 09/01/16

WEST LAFAYETTE, IN – Purdue University dedicated the $90 million Honors College and Residences, on September 9 — the first of its kind in Indiana and among the nation’s most advanced academic residential colleges.

The design for the 324,000-square-foot facility is the result of research about how high-ability students learn. It houses more than 800 students and is also home to the college itself, serving as a centralized hub for its administration and academic programs. Scholars are just steps away from their professors, advisers, the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and agriculture, math) research lab and state-of-the-art “active learning” studios. They study in shared spaces aimed at fostering interaction and collaboration.

“The Honors College and Residences completely intertwines a student's residential and academic experience, so they stay engaged,” says Rhonda Phillips, Honors College dean. “The learning and leadership opportunities for students will be second to none. We are forging the future of honors education.” 

“The Honors College and Residences will create learning and leadership opportunities for students ready to commit to its rigor and academic challenge,” Purdue President Mitch Daniels says. “This facility embodies Purdue's commitment to academic excellence, collaborative spirit and intellectual growth.”

Construction for the Honors College and Residences began in January 2015. The building utilized locally sourced materials and is seeking LEED certification.

Notable spaces include the Innovation Forum, with an interactive, programmable floor; the Computer Co-Lab, with bicycles that power laptops; an edible garden and the “crown jewel” of the Honors College, the Honors Hall.  With its massive windows, a coffered ceiling, stage and space for nearly 300 people, the hall will serve as a central gathering point for programs and college functions.

About Purdue Honors College 
The Honors College, which admitted its inaugural class in 2013, brings together students from all areas of study across campus, along with faculty, staff, alumni and organizational partners, in pursuit of academic excellence. Fostering transformative scholar and leadership development, the college is a community of scholars who learn together and explore ways to connect to Purdue and to the world beyond through engaged service.

Featured

  • Missouri State University Debuts Construction Education Center

    Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo., recently opened a new 10,000-square-foot addition and renovation to support the School of Construction, Design, and Project Management, according to university news. The Construction Education Success Center, built onto the existing Kemper Hall, provides academic space for the school’s construction managers and cost $9.6 million.

  • How One School Reimagined Learning Spaces—and What Others Can Learn

    When Collegedale Academy, a PreK–8 school outside Chattanooga, Tenn., needed a new elementary building, we faced the choice that many school leaders eventually confront: repair an aging facility or reimagine what learning spaces could be. Our historic elementary school held decades of memories for families, including some who had once walked its halls as children themselves. But years of wear and the need for costly repairs made it clear that investing in the old building would only patch the problems rather than solve them.

  • Extron, CENTEGIX Partner for Comprehensive School Security Solution

    Professional audiovisual solutions provider Extron recently announced a partnership with CENTEGIX, which provides rapid incident response technology, to integrate two of their top products in the name of school safety.

  • North Dakota State University Completes Music School Renovation

    North Dakota State University in Fargo, N.D., recently announced that construction on the Challey School of Music has finished, according to a news release. The university partnered with Foss Architecture & Interiors for design and Kraus-Anderson for construction services, and construction began in July 2024.