Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Carson-Newman University Starts Construction on Residence Hall

  • By Matt Jones
  • 07/13/23

On the campus of Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City, Tenn., construction on a new residence hall has officially begun. Local news reports that the housing facility, West Campus Commons, marks the largest construction project in university history. It will measure in at more than 110,000 square feet and is scheduled to open its doors to students in fall 2024.

The university partnered with developer University Housing Solutions and architecture firm Barber McMurry Architects to design the new facility against the backdrop of a larger, 20-year master plan. Two buildings will hold a total of 524 beds and will be joined together via a two-story “Community Connector,” according to local news. The facility will also include amenities like gathering, gaming, and study spaces.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the project took place in April. The project is part of a five-year strategic plan called “Acorns to Oaks: Pursuing God’s Preferred Future,” according to a university news release. Other facets of that initiative include construction of the Drama and Ted Russell Center, which is scheduled to open this fall and play home to the university’s nursing department.

“I especially would like to thank the Board of Trustees, whose decisions regarding our strategic plan and 20-year master plan paved the way to consider this new residence life facility,” said University President Charles A. Fowler. “We look forward to seeing this exciting project take form over the coming months and benefitting Carson-Newman students for years.”

Local news reports that the facility will include security features like cameras and keycard access. It will play home to a resident assistant on each floor and a residence director who lives on site.

A university news release from February announcing the project also indicates that the residence hall will also include laundry facilities on each floor of each wing. Student representatives and the university’s dining services partner are currently having conversations about dining options for new residents.

“Carson-Newman desires to provide spaces and places for students to live and study that are marked by excellence,” Fowler said.  “This new residence life facility reflects our heart for Christian community and our commitment to excellence.”

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Rethinking K-12 Schools as a Continuous Learning Experience

    Most students move through three or more separate facilities during their K-12 journey, yet the built environments they encounter at each stage have traditionally been designed in isolation, with little continuity in spatial language, learning philosophy, or physical resources. Each new school is a reset with different layouts, learning models, expectations, and ways of moving through a building. The next generation of school design is making the case that the first day of kindergarten and the last day of high school can and should feel connected through common support systems and infrastructure in the physical environment.

  • Planning with Clarity: Using AI to Make Better Campus Decisions, Not Just Better Designs

    Higher education leaders are being asked to make increasingly high-stakes decisions about campus facilities amid greater uncertainty than ever before. Social and economic pressures, shifting enrollment, and evolving learning models compete with growing deferred maintenance needs to strain even the most robust infrastructure budgets.

  • Virginia Tech Tops Out New College of Engineering Building

    Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of Mitchell Hall, which will soon stand as the largest College of Engineering building on campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with Skanska on the 285,500-square-foot facility, which has an expected completion date of winter 2028.

  • Children walking along bright school corridor with motion blur

    How Next-Gen Design Is Reshaping the Student Experience

    The environments where students learn play a crucial role in shaping their growth in and out of the classroom. By centering design on well-being, flexibility, and purpose, districts can ensure their facilities remain vibrant community assets for many years to come.