DENVER ADVANTAGE
(Constructing) DU IMPACT 2025:
As a part of Denver Advantage, we are building a new Community Commons and First Year Residence Hall. The two buildings strive to inspire a sense of belonging and navigational capital. Belonging is a fundamental human need, and critical to the success of our students. Belonging leads to resilience, persistence, and academic success. We also need to provide navigational capital: the information, resources and relationships that allow one to successfully navigate their environment. A sense of belonging and navigational capital are mutually reinforcing. Together, they create the environmental conditions in which students can live, learn and thrive.
Anderson Mason Dale and Moore Ruble Yudell were selected as the Architect of Record, and Saunders Construction Inc. was selected as the general contractor for both buildings. Construction began in June 2018 with the demolition of eight houses along High Street, and will be followed by the demolition of north Driscoll. Full construction is expected to begin in November and is scheduled to be complete by July 2020.
First Year Residence Hall:
The First Year Residence Hall is designed to house 500 first-year students, and a series of campus-serving programs. Developing a sense of belonging is the key principle driving the design of this residence hall. The size of pods is ideal for skill building centered on dialogue, conflict resolution, and wellness.
We will have spaces that accomodate social and educational gatherings of different sizes, such as common rooms in every pod, a bridge connecting the two wings, a multipurpose room, and a courtyard that can accommodate an entire class of 1500 students.
The entire ground floor will house departments and services that will be accessible to all undergraduates:
- Honors Program
- Housing and Residential Education
- Pioneer Leadership Program
- Living Learning Communities
- Pet Wash Station
Opening Date: Fall 2020
Square Feet: 130,000
Community Commons:
Located at the heart of campus, the Community Commons will be the heart of DU, a place for all community members. The Commons will feature a central market place, an array of student services, meeting and work spaces designed to foster collaboration and wellbeing, and a series of indoor and rooftop venues with sweeping mountain and campus views.
In order to attract all constituencies, community members can expect:
- Commuter friendly spaces and storage
- Designated space for graduate students
- Designated space for student government leadership and student organization planning
- Designated space for faculty
- A variety of staff educators and offices
- A Gourmet Kitchen
- A market place with many, diverse food offerings
- Meeting spaces for groups as small as 6 and as many as 350
- A rooftop deck with drink and food options
Opening Date: Fall 2020
Square Feet: 132,000
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