University of Wisconsin–Whitewater Residence Hall

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

  • R.I. District Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for New Elementary School

    Cranston Public Schools in Cranston, R.I., recently announced the completion of Gladstone Elementary School, according to a news release. The 100,000-square-foot facility serves as a replacement for the 1950s-era former building, and it consolidates the student, faculty, and staff populations of Gladstone and Arlington Elementary Schools.

  • Missouri K–12 District Cuts Ribbons on Two New Middle Schools

    Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, Mo., recently celebrated the completion of two new middle school facilities with ribbon-cutting ceremonies, according to a district news release. The district officially opened the new Pipkin Middle School and Reed Academy on Sept. 3, both of which were funded through the $220-million Proposition S bond program approved by voters in 2023.

  • URI Cuts Underwater Ribbon on New Ocean Robotics Laboratory

    The University of Rhode Island recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Ocean Robotics Laboratory at its Narragansett Bay Campus, according to a news release. Two students used a remotely operated vehicle to cut an underwater ribbon in a 30-by-20-foot test tank.

  • Embry-Riddle Completes Construction on Research, Lab Facility

    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Fla., recently announced the end of construction on a new research and lab facility on campus. The Center for Aerospace Engineering II (CAT II) will support aerospace research and technology development and broke ground last summer.