Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

University of Wisconsin–Whitewater Residence Hall

  • 03/01/20

Architectural firm EUA worked with the state of Wisconsin and University of Wisconsin–Whitewater to design a residence hall for first-year students. The university’s Centers for Students with Disabilities played an integral role in the design phase to ensure the building was universally designed and accessible.

University of Wisconsin–Whitewater Residence Hall 

Photo © C&N Photography, LLC

Universal design is an integral part of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s culture. EUA’s in-house accessibility expert worked closely with campus representatives to provide an accessible environment that goes beyond code minimums to create integrated, inclusive spaces for students of all abilities. Enhanced accessible rooms allow for people that have additional disabilities to have a caretaker live in with them so that they can still live in an environment with other students.

University of Wisconsin–Whitewater Residence Hall 

Photo © C&N Photography, LLC

The five-story, 400-student residence hall consists of housing areas arranged in pods. The pod arrangement contains two double-occupant bedrooms and a bathroom accessed from a shared entry space. This provides students with an option for more privacy than the other traditional dorms on campus that have centralized multi-occupant bathrooms.

University of Wisconsin–Whitewater Residence Hall 

Photo © C&N Photography, LLC

Each floor also has a communal kitchenette with refrigerator and microwave. Upper floors include centralized lounge spaces that support the formation of community. The first floor includes a computer lab, study and multipurpose rooms, a full kitchen and laundry room, along with a front desk and lobby area. These common areas encourage students to get out of their rooms, help with social development and connect with other students.

University of Wisconsin–Whitewater Residence Hall 

Photo © C&N Photography, LLC

University of Wisconsin–Whitewater Residence Hall 

Photo © C&N Photography, LLC

This article originally appeared in the March/April 2020 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • University of Oklahoma Announces New Campus Master Plan

    The University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., recently announced that it will soon launch a new, comprehensive Campus Master Plan to guide the campus’ physical development during the next decade, according to a news release.

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Education Design Showcase Awards

    Spaces4Learning has opened submissions for the 2026 Education Design Showcase! The awards program launched in 1999 with the goal of celebrating innovative, practical solutions in the planning, design, and construction of K–12 and higher-education facilities. EDS recognizes new developments that help achieve optimal learning environments, as well as the architecture firms that brought the ideas to life.

  • NWEA Report Recommends K–12 Natural Disaster Recovery Strategies

    The Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), a K–12 assessment and research organization, recently announced the release of a new playbook for schools and communities recovering from extreme weather events, according to a news release.

  • Surging Demand for Student Housing Fuels Major Campus Investment Opportunities

    University leaders throughout the U.S. are accelerating plans to modernize and expand student housing as enrollment stabilizes and demand for on-campus living rebounds. Recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that total postsecondary enrollment is projected to grow through the end of the decade, with undergraduate enrollment alone expected to increase by more than 8 percent by 2030.