Dillard University Student Housing
A new Living, Learning, Serving residence hall for Louisiana’s oldest HBCU.
Dillard University’s Living, Learning and Serving Student Housing project is the most recent new construction residence hall on the historic campus. This project establishes university leadership’s new vision for the school to become a dynamic “Communiversity” with an inclusive and interconnected living and learning environment.
Outcome
The Living, Learning, and Serving Student Housing at Dillard University exemplifies a commitment to inclusivity and community engagement. This residence hall creates value by fostering a vibrant living environment that prioritizes equity and accessibility for a diverse student body. By integrating communal areas and essential amenities like faculty offices, student lounges, and a café, the design enhances both academic success and interaction with the Gentilly community.
The emphasis on universal access ensures that all students feel welcomed, reinforcing Dillard’s legacy as an HBCU. Thoughtful massing and material choices enable the building to harmonize with its surroundings while introducing a modern, resilient design. This project serves as a community hub that encourages collaboration among students, faculty, and local residents. Ultimately, the new residence hall embodies Dillard University's vision of a thriving, interconnected community grounded in shared purpose.
The project embraces a holistic approach to community integration and prioritizes equitable access for a diverse student body while harmonizing with the existing neighborhood. By prioritizing universal access, celebrating the university's HBCU status, and removing barriers related to race, income, and physical abilities, the project establishes an environment where all students can thrive. From thoughtfully planned communal areas to the resilient, low-maintenance building design, the project aligns with the institution's values of equity, access, and excellence.
The design focuses on fostering a sense of community through intentional spaces that encourage collaboration, and well-being. The 4-story 251-bed project includes faculty offices, student lounge, study, and amenity spaces as well as a café and multipurpose room that will be accessible to the larger Gentilly community.
There is a high percentage of amenities to living space providing students, faculty, community members and even a small incubator space room to coexist in one hub and feed off each other’s energy. Other uses include a commercial corner retail store, offices, conference rooms and a community gathering space.
The building massing, yard setbacks, and façade composition are arranged to blend with the mix of commercial and residential neighborhood uses, while relating back to the Dillard campus. The building massing steps down from 4 stories to 3 stories as the site context transitions from commercial and cemetery uses to single family residential uses. The building has a 3-story white painted brick base reminiscent of Dillard’s other campus buildings with fiber cement board paneling and punched windows at the top floor.