University of Chicago Campus North Residential Commons

Featuring a mix of student residences, dining options, amenities, retail, and green spaces, the Campus North Residential Commons offers the kinds of social spaces and experiences that enhance campus and academic life for today’s undergraduates. It is also designed as a welcoming portal to the University, strengthening connections between students and the surrounding community. The design situates three slender bar buildings in an urban fabric of inviting outdoor spaces for students and neighbors. The buildings are scaled to their context, with the tallest structure completing the urban edge of a busy thoroughfare, while the lower structures are attuned to the surrounding neighborhood. Precast concrete panels are used to clad the building, a contemporary facade informed by the University’s neo-Gothic tradition. Enhancing the University’s House system, which encourages interaction and collaboration between students to support social and academic success, the buildings are organized around House hubs, three-story communal spaces that are designed to feel comfortable and home-like. Each hub offers distinct spaces for studying, cooking, and relaxing in small groups or individually, while also enabling all House members to assemble together. All eight Houses share spaces such as the top- floor Reading Room, creating additional opportunities for relationship building among students.