Project File: Modernizing campus

Revitalizing the residential area of Worcester State College, Worcester, Mass., is an important goal for the college as it moves away from its commuter-based past. Wasylean Hall, the school's six-story, 348-bed student residence hall, not only provides much-needed housing, but also reconstructs the campus to function more smoothly, provides a gathering space for outdoor events and updates the school's image.

“Students today expect a certain quality of life from on-campus residency, and we are pleased to have this beautiful new hall to offer them, which also fills a great need for on-campus housing,” says Janelle Ashley, president.

Capitalizing on this opportunity, the building is sited to address a major concern with the college's physical layout. A large parking lot separated the residential campus from the academic center. By introducing a new pedestrian plaza where a parking lot once existed and by forming a steel and glass curtainwall at the central knuckle of an ell, the design team created a new gateway to the upper residential campus. The building provides a generous plaza to accommodate the 1,000 on-campus residents who walk daily between campuses.

The architect for this project is ADD Inc., Cambridge, Mass.