Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

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

  • Quattrocchi Kwok Architects Opens New Office in Denver

    Education planning and design firm Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) recently announced that it has opened a new office in Denver, Colo., the firm’s third overall. QKA is headquartered in Santa Rosa, Calif., and runs an East Bay Area office in Oakland.

  • DFW-Area District Opens New Replacement Middle School

    The Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District near Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new replacement middle school campus, according to a news release. The new facility for Wayside Middle School, originally established in 1964, was built on the site of the former district administration building and funded through Bond Proposition A in 2023.

  • Hawaii Elementary School Breaks Ground on New Classroom Building

    Kealakehe Elementary School in Kailua, Hawaii, recently began construction on a new, $16-million classroom building for its campus, according to a news release. The 13,000-square-foot building will stand two stories and connect the existing upper and lower campuses.

  • Chicago District Completes Construction on New Elementary School

    North Chicago School District 187 in North Chicago, Ill., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Forrestal Elementary School, according to a news release. The new school marks a major investment in military-connected students and families at Naval Station Great Lakes.