New living/learning facility at the University of Illinois at Chicago breaks ground

A new academic and residential complex is under construction on the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) campus. The facility will comprise a two-story academic classroom building and a 10-story undergraduate residence hall.

The $100 million Solomon Cordwell Buenz-designed complex will offer 550 beds in a mix of traditional dorm rooms and suite-style units. The building will also house 16,000 sf of shared spaces such as lounges for studying and student interaction, offices, laundry rooms, a fitness center, a 10^th-floor sky lounge, and 1,600 sf of retail space expected to house a coffee shop.

Rendering courtesy of SCB.

The academic component of the project will include 51,000 sf of classroom space featuring three large lecture halls, active learning classrooms, several small group study rooms, a tutoring center, and collaboration spaces.

The building will use glass, light concrete panels, and natural materials and provide more transparent and well-lit environments than older UIC buildings. “The building was designed with a nod to Walter Netsch (the original architect of the campus),” says Jim Curtin, Design Principal, SCB, in a release.

Rendering courtesy of SCB.

The project is part of a public-private partnership between UIC and American Campus Communities. It is expected to be completed by July 2019.

Rendering courtesy of SCB.