Bringing VERVE to Student Life
The story behind Subtext’s award-winning brand.
Award-winning student housing doesn’t always come from replicating a successful concept in every college town. Just ask the execs at Subtext, which earned Gold recognition at the 2025 MHN Excellence Awards for its VERVE Madison in Wisconsin and Bronze for its VERVE West Lafayette in Indiana.
VERVE Madison
Located just two blocks from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, VERVE Madison blends urban density with design elements inspired by the city’s culture and campus traditions. The 12-story, 142-unit community earned the Gold Award in the Student Housing Development category at the 2025 MHN Excellence Awards.
“Every university has a different culture, physical environment and set of opportunities, so every VERVE community begins with understanding what makes that market unique,” shared Mitchell Korte, executive vice president of development at Subtext.
For VERVE Madison, the developer transformed a tight 0.67-acre site into a community designed to reflect its surroundings. Subtext worked with ESG Architecture & Design and other local partners on the project’s architecture and interiors to create what Korte described as a “quintessentially Madison” environment. Lyrics from the song “Jump Around” appear in the mailroom, while surrealist portraits set in Camp Randall Stadium connect the property to campus lore.
The rooftop terrace is one of the community’s standout features, according to Korte. Much like the Misfit Society Coffee Club at VERVE Ann Arbor, the amenity has become a flexible gathering place. Residents use it to study outdoors, attend events and take in views of the city skyline and university campus.
“It’s a space where students can experience the city’s greatest assets from their own community,” Korte said.
VERVE West Lafayette
Subtext’s VERVE brand also earned Bronze recognition for VERVE West Lafayette, a 751-bed community two blocks from Purdue University in Indiana. Developed across multiple parcels, the mixed-use project was designed to connect residents with both the surrounding neighborhood and the university. Subtext brought on WDG Architecture to handle the project’s architecture, while Ankrom Moisan served as interior designer.
“Rather than simply incorporating retail, we worked with a local operator to intentionally curate concepts that activate the street, create gathering places and strengthen the connection between the community and campus,” Korte detailed.
A guiding principle of the VERVE brand is to begin with the local market and build outward, creating communities that respond to their specific settings. At VERVE West Lafayette, this is reflected in its two-story lobby, which is anchored by a grand staircase and slide, and designed to encourage interaction from the moment residents step in.
When another redevelopment opportunity emerged across the street, Subtext chose not to replicate the VERVE concept. Instead, the company developed EVER West Lafayette, a second student housing experience intended to appeal to different resident preferences while complementing the experience offered at VERVE.
“Both communities share Subtext’s resident-first philosophy and commitment to intentional design, while offering two distinct brands and products to serve different resident preferences,” Korte said.
In Madison, the company developed the 536-bed community on a tight urban site and drew on local influences for the design. For the West Lafayette project, Subtext pursued a mixed-use model to connect students with the university as well as the neighborhood (see sidebars for more.)
The two projects reflect Subtext’s broader approach to student housing: adapting communities to local character while emphasizing resident experience and thoughtful design.
Social spaces throughout VERVE communities are designed to foster connection and create memorable experiences beyond the classroom. Image courtesy of Subtext 
Misfit Society Coffee Club at VERVE Ann Arbor in Michigan has become a daily gathering place where students study, meet friends and spend time between classes. Image courtesy of Subtext 
Shared gathering spaces at VERVE West Lafayette were designed to encourage connection and create the active, social environment that defines the VERVE brand. Image courtesy of Subtext 
At VERVE, wellness is woven into the student experience rather than treated as a stand-alone amenity. Image courtesy of Subtext 
Resident feedback has helped shape flexible wellness spaces that support multiple aspects of student life. Image courtesy of Subtext
Creating the VERVE brand
When Subtext launched its VERVE brand in 2021, the goal was to create communities that felt specific to their university and market. As such, no two VERVE communities are the same. But they share several defining characteristics, including “fall-out-of-bed” locations, a range of food-and-beverage offerings and designs that reflect the surrounding university and city, according to Maggie St. Geme, vice president of marketing at Subtext.
LISTEN TO: Student Housing Unlocked Podcast: Inside Subtext’s Social Media Strategy
The concept came to life from what the firm saw as a gap in the purpose-built student housing market. To avoid creating the same wash-rinse-repeat housing development, the company finds ways to personalize each community.
“We believe students want authenticity and each market deserves its own identity,” St. Geme said. “Rather than repeating the same building, we strive to create the same energy: one that’s inspired by the university, the city and the students who call it home.”
The question we ask isn’t: ‘What amenities should we add?’ It’s: ‘How will residents actually use
—Leisha McVicar, Director of Interiors, Subtext
this space?
Translating the brand into design
Each property uses these threads differently when it comes to architecture, interiors and amenities to support how students study, socialize and recharge. Subtext refers to this philosophy internally as creating “places for all headspaces,” according to Leisha McVicar, director of interiors at Subtext.
Resident feedback has also influenced how those spaces have evolved. Today, students increasingly value flexibility over an ever-growing list of single-purpose amenities, so VERVE has placed a greater emphasis on adaptable areas that support wellness, fitness, studying and social interaction.
“One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned is that students don’t necessarily want more amenities but spaces they actually use throughout the day,” McVicar said.
One example is the Misfit Society Coffee Club at VERVE Ann Arbor in Michigan. The coffee shop is popular with students, who use it not only to pick up coffee before class but also to meet classmates, work on projects, study or simply spend time throughout the day.
“It creates a level of energy and daily activation that you don’t get from a traditional lobby or resident lounge,” McVicar shared.
Following the success of the Misfit Society Coffee Club at VERVE Ann Arbor, Subtext plans to incorporate the concept into future VERVE communities.
One philosophy across multiple brands
As Subtext has grown, the company has expanded its portfolio across the student housing and multifamily sectors. Alongside its flagship VERVE brand, it now operates communities under the EVER, LOCAL and CHRONICLE names. Each is intended to serve different resident needs and markets, while staying rooted in the company’s broader resident-first philosophy.
We never want a VERVE community to feel like it could exist anywhere.
—Mitchell Korte, Executive Vice President of Development, Subtext
“These communities are designed around an active, highly social resident experience, with expansive amenities, dynamic gathering spaces and wellness integrated throughout the community,” St. Geme said. “EVER offers a more boutique experience. While it shares the same commitment to quality and resident experience, it emphasizes a quieter, more refined environment with thoughtfully designed study spaces, elevated wellness offerings and comfortable everyday living.”
Although VERVE and EVER serve students in different ways, both brands have evolved alongside changing student expectations. Rather than treating wellness as a destination in itself, for example, Subtext now views it as a component of a broader student experience that also encompasses academics, friendships, personal growth and everyday life.
“Every generation of students has different expectations, but the fundamentals remain remarkably consistent,” St. Geme said. “They want experiences that make college memorable. Our job is to continue creating communities that support all of those things.”
