University of Oklahoma: Headington and Dunham Residential Colleges

  • 01/01/18
University of Oklahoma

PHOTOS © DAVID COBB PHOTOGRAPHY

Utilizing the “residential college” community model, student housing design experts KWK Architects of Webster Groves, MO, with architect-of-record ADG Architects of Oklahoma City, OK, designed the first residential colleges in Oklahoma at the University of Oklahoma in Norman. A dedication ceremony for the new Headington and Dunham residential colleges was held on October 11, 2017.

The new $75 million residential colleges are designed as living/learning spaces that provide upperclassmen with a sense of community and identity within the larger university environment, by combining three different aspects of student life: living, learning, and community fellowship. The goal of this model is to engage students within the residential colleges beyond their freshman and sophomore years to create lasting relationships and a sense of identity.

The facilities, located south of the football stadium at the southwest corner of Jenkins Avenue and Lindsey Street, opened in fall 2017 with 300 students in each building.

Taking cues from residential colleges on Ivy League campuses such as Harvard, Yale, Oxford, and Cambridge, each building features a faculty master apartment and office, dormitories, private parking, seminar/conference rooms, lounges, study areas, libraries, and dining rooms. The two residential colleges are also connected by a communal dining area and storm shelter, and each boasts a house motto, colors, crest, and athletic teams. The architectural design of each college was influenced by the Cherokee Gothic style featured on several buildings throughout the campus.

The project team, which included KWK Architects, ADG Architects, and Brailsford & Dunlavey program management, began the project by first creating a master plan for expanding student campus housing at the university. The team reviewed existing housing facilities, as well as available campus sites and near-campus housing, before surveying students to determine optimal rental prices, unit sizes, room configurations, and desired amenities for the new residential colleges.

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management January 2018 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Active Learning Classroom

    Striking a Balance: The Keys to Renovating Science Education Buildings for the 21st Century

    The recent renovation of the Durham Science Center at the University of Nebraska-Omaha (UNO) provides a roadmap for facilities managers tasked with balancing budget constraints, modern pedagogical demands, and long-term sustainability.

  • Ancient Resilience: How Indigenous Intelligence Shapes the 4Roots Education Building

    As climate change intensifies, educational spaces must evolve beyond basic sustainability toward true resilience – we must design environments that can adapt, respond, and thrive amid shifting, and intensifying, climate hazards. Drawing on indigenous wisdom and nature-based strategies, integrating resilient design offers a path to create learning environments that are not only functional but deeply in tune with their natural surroundings.

  • University of Connecticut Upgrades Basketball Facility’s AV Systems

    The University of Connecticut recently partnered with Metinteractive to upgrade the AV systems of the Gampel Pavilion basketball facility on its campus in Mansfield, Conn., according to a news release.

  • Kimball International Debuts Health & Education Experience Center

    Kimball International recently opened a new facility at its corporate headquarters in Jasper, Ind., that will act as a hands-on showroom for a variety of its furniture products and solutions, according to a news release. The 13,000-square-foot Health & Education Experience Center was originally designed by Gensler as the headquarters for Kimball International’s National brand.

Digital Edition