NAU Honors College

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Client

American Campus Communities

Location

Flagstaff, Arizona

Typology

High-Rise Student Housing Community

Units/Beds

318/636

Sustainability

Designed to LEED Silver Standards

Honors College’s goal at Northern Arizona University was to provide a cohesive place for Honors Students to live and engage in their academic studies. This 5-story, 636-bed student living project was designed to be the focal point as you enter the NAU campus. Todd & Associates designed a 4-story amenities tower with floor to ceiling windows, drawing in the viewer’s eye to achieve this. A part of the amenities provided is study lounges on each floor. The larger lounges are positioned in the corners of the amenities tower with floor to ceiling windows allowing for natural lighting and campus views. One of these spaces is a social lounge/game room. There is also a fitness center, outdoor space with ramadas and BBQ area, and a pedway connected to the campus. To further support students with their studies, an academic space was designed. This vibrant, engaging space is 19,755 SF and includes 8 state-of-the-art classrooms, study spaces, a writing center, administrative offices, and a student support center. The academic learning spaces are designed as flexible seating classrooms to allow for a variety of pedagogical approaches and greater student collaboration.

College & University

Selecting a college or university usually comes down to location and academic programs. However, an increasing number of students and their families are looking for the quality, type, and standard of living offered by student housing communities as one of the deciding factors. Secure and well-maintained housing facilities support the recruiting process and greatly assist universities in attracting and retaining highly qualified students. From years of planning and designing college and university facilities (both public and private), we believe that all spaces should be created with the end user in mind, especially when designing learning environments. Human-centered design focuses on people and how they will use the space, for growth and development, social interaction and living and learning. These should be spaces of inspiration, to supply students with the tools they need to succeed in today’s ever-changing world. At Todd & Associates, we are continually looking for innovative ways to improve the design of student housing communities. By exploring new ideas and processes, such as the multi-phased process of the 21st Century Project of ACUHO (Association of College and University Housing Officials), we are ensuring that these communities better reflect the ever-changing roles their residences play in the collegiate experience.