Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

West Chester University of Pennsylvania: Commonwealth Hall

  • 01/01/18
West Chester University of Pennsylvania

PHOTOS © GREYSTREET PHOTOGRAPHY, SHELLIE FERGUSON

Commonwealth Hall at West Chester University of Pennsylvania (WCU) opened in 2015 as the second phase of the school’s Housing Replacement Initiative. West Chester sought to improve the quality of their student housing options while increasing the available beds to allow an increase in enrollment. At the same time, it was important that the new development feel as though it belonged within the existing campus context.

Designed by Voith & Mactavish Architects LLP, in association with WTW Architects, its aesthetic is a blend of Classical and Gothic Revival architecture at a scale that complements the existing historic campus buildings as well the adjacent residential neighborhood. The exterior, comprised mostly of brick but with buff stone accents, was carefully designed to reflect the scale, color tone, and fenestration patterns of the campus’s historic buildings. Nevertheless, the systems and materials are entirely modern: geothermal heating and cooling, a latent heat recovery system, and high-albedo roofing are just some of the building’s sustainable elements that also help minimize operating costs.

The interior blends form and function to deliver a true living/learning community that accommodates a variety of programming: a yoga and fitness studio, separate study and social lounges on each floor, free laundry facilities, a central multipurpose lounge, full kitchen and vending area, and the WCU Health & Wellness Center. It also houses the University Student Housing (USH) leasing office on the ground floor. The 651-bed community, open to all academic levels, is managed by USH, an entity created by the school’s nonprofit WCU Foundation for the express purpose of managing their new high-end on-campus housing. Rooms are divided between private and semi-private suites with semi-private bathrooms, all of which require card swipe entry, and feature generous windows overlooking a new quad created between dormitories built during the previous phase of development.

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

Featured

  • University of Idaho Debuts New Campus Housing Community

    The University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Vandal Village, a new campus housing community for graduate students and families, according to a news release.

  • Longwood University Hits Construction Milestone on New Music Education Facility

    Longwood University in Farmville, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of its new music education and performance facility, according to a news release. The university partnered with development and construction firm Skanska on the 63,800-square-foot facility, which began construction in August 2025 and has an estimated completion date of fall 2028.

  • Minnesota District Converts Middle School into Community Hub

    White Bear Lake Area Schools in White Bear Lake, Minn., recently announced the end of a major renovation project that converted a former middle school into a new centralized district and community hub, according to a news release.