Student Housing

For some people, leaving home for the first time can be a challenging thing. It is starting a new life and stepping into a whole new world, especially upon entering college. Students go through a transition during those years of school. Instead of having parents to help with everything, students have to do it on their own and become more independent. This includes shopping, food, and finding balance between the schoolwork and relaxing. The transition helps with the correct environment within their school, more especially their housing.

Student housing is considered to be one of the most important aspects of a university or college. It is where the student spends most of their time. It’s where they work, sleep, shower, relax, and sometimes eat. So, having a quality residence hall that satisfies the needs and comforts of students is essential. While this statement could mean something different to each student in regards to their satisfaction, there is no denying that there are common needs and wants for various students.

For the interior, there are issues of privacy, convenience, and community. This refers to how the rooms are structured and what are offered as amenities to students. It is important for students to feel comfortable living with strangers, but at the same time, the building should create a sense of community. This can be seen in regular dorm rooms where students sleep in the same room or if they share an apartment where while they have their own bedrooms, they have shared common areas for interaction. Convenient access to amenities are also important. Students need to have access to food, laundry, spaces for social interaction, technology, fitness, and other facilities and services.

If one or more of the above can’t be placed within the residence hall itself, it is imperative to place them close to the building. Students should have easy access to stores, food vendors, and other businesses without the need to take a bus or find other means of transportation if they are unable to drive or find parking.

The goal of this project would be to design a university dormitory within Buffalo that satisfies the needs and comforts of students throughout their education. This would be done through literary review, precedent study of existing dorms and projects, and talking to people through surveys, interviews, and/or focus groups.