Specifications include, but are not limited to: The first building is a new residence hall that provides up to 750 beds of affordable housing for incoming first-year students. The bedrooms should be developed using a “pod” concept approach. The pod concept provides space to socialize, sleep, study and dine within the scope of intimate community grouping. Depending upon the cost, two (2) three bed pods may share a shower and a water closet. If this proves to be too costly, one or more common bathrooms will be provided on each floor as required. Initial studies conducted by the University indicate that this program can be accommodated within a (4) story, 128,000 GSF building. In addition to the bedrooms, the residential portion of the project will include associated activity and study space, office space for the residence hall administration, meeting rooms, recreational areas, and faculty-in-residence apartments. It is also assumed that a dining hall will be constructed on the ground floor of the building. The project will be designed to include gender equity and shall be accessible by residents with a range of abilities. The second building is the Student Health Center (SHC) and will be studied as an alternate during schematic design. This department is currently located in an antiquated building near the center of campus, next to the Psychology Building. The SHC serves more students and provides more services than the current space can accommodate, so this project seeks to provide approximately 35,000 GSF for a new facility on the second floor of the new building. The SHC shall have its own dedicated entrance at ground level. It will include an elevator that is separate from those that serve the residence hall. The program shall support a wide range of services, including a triage clinic, health and wellness promotion, examination and treatment rooms, mental health support, and the associated spaces for administrative and medical staff.
