Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Virginia Commonwealth University to Build New Honors Dorms

  • By Matt Jones
  • 07/14/22

Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., recently moved forward with plans to build a new residence hall for honors students.

Local news reports that a vacant building adjacent to its campus has been demolished in preparation for the construction. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2024 and finish by fall 2026, according to Meredith Weiss, VCU Vice President for Administration.

According to local news, the project is a direct response to an increased demand for more on-campus housing. The facility will also feature amenities like office space, teaching space, collaborative areas and an event space for the Honors College. The dorm’s exact capacity is still in the planning stages, but it will hold more students than the current honors residence hall, which has 177 beds. The VCU website reports that about 700+ beds are anticipated.

The new dorm’s construction is part of the university’s Six-Year Capital Plan, which encompasses multiple construction projects around campus. Also planned are a new Arts and Innovation Academic Building and a new IT Center.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.

  • Higher Ed is Betting on New Buildings While Quietly Undermining Their Campuses — Here’s Why

    In this climate, the owner’s representative has changed from a delivery-focused advisor to a strategic campus partner. Institutions are increasingly relying on owner’s reps not just to manage, cope, schedule, and budget, but also help evaluate whether a project should proceed at all.

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey

    Spaces4Learning recently launched the 2026 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey, which collects data on the previous year’s K–12 and higher education construction projects nationwide.

  • Designing for Every Mind

    Learning environments have the power to shape not just what students know, but who they become. When a school is designed with genuine empathy—for the full range of ways students think, sense, and engage with the world—it becomes more than a building. It becomes a catalyst for growth, confidence, and belonging. That is the animating idea behind neurodiverse design, and it is one that is transforming how more architects and designers are thinking about school design.