The Sioux Falls, SD soil thawed just enough on May 18 for Augustana University officials to break ground on a $50 million housing plan, which includes construction of a brand-new residence hall.
The housing project, which will create a new south residential village, is a major step forward in the first phase of Augustana’s strategic plan Viking Bold: The Journey to 2030. Augustana has set goals for the next decade to establish new academic programs, grow enrollment, make its education more affordable and transition to NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics. Improving the university’s physical campus will aid in those pursuits.
St. Louis-based KWK Architects is the lead designer on the new hall, with TSP Inc. providing local architecture support, mechanical/electrical/structural engineering, and construction-phase services. Mortenson Construction is the developer/general contractor on the project.
“It will be exciting to have construction on campus to highlight our growth,” said Director of Facility Services Andrea (Miller) Smith. “We must be able to meet the needs of the growing number of students that we will have on campus. By elevating the experience of our residential component, we're elevating the excellence of the entire campus. It's going to be incredibly impactful, not only for Augustana, but for the entire Sioux Falls community.”
Construction on the south residence hall, to be located on the south end of the university’s north campus near 33rd Street and Grange Avenue, is set to begin this summer and be completed in the fall of 2022.
When completed, the new L-shaped, three-story hall will house up to 200 students and include semi-suites with four beds and a bathroom in each unit. A community building at the front of the hall will include shared multi-purpose spaces, and incorporate living and learning environments for faculty, students and affinity groups on campus.
Student leadership groups were involved in charrettes throughout the design process to determine what they would like to have in a new residence hall.
“We designed the new hall to be multi-functional for the entire campus community, and not just for the students living there,” said KWK Principal Paul Wuennenberg. “Our design incorporates flexible classroom space that can be used for programming during the day, then utilized for community interactions in the evenings and weekends. A kitchen and lounge area in the hall further promotes community.”
