dumontjanks

The One Ohio State University Framework Plan identified revitalization of on-campus residential life as a core principle. Rather than conceive of a new residential district, the university pursued a reinvestment strategy in the three existing residential enclaves surrounding the academic core. These projects connected building additions to renovated existing residence halls, providing new academic workspaces, student life programs and additional beds. The projects reactivate the districts through attention to exterior space and connections back to the academic core. Bold groves of trees and lighting frame the major exterior spaces and adjacent campus street network.

The south residential district is the first to be completed. New buildings linked to existing halls form arrival courts on their public side while framing intimate raised terraces and lawn courts on the private side. A major new lawn unites the east and west side of the district, replacing a 200-car parking lot. Beneath this lawn is an array of geothermal wells that supply building heating and cooling for the entire district, as well as an extensive system of storm water reservoirs that capture and infiltrate rainwater from building roofs.