Student Housing Project Kicks Off on New Mexico Campus
Designed by Dekker, Perich and Sabatini, the 150-bed residence is on track to open early next year.
Sunrise Parkway and Education Drive. Rendering courtesy of San Juan College
San Juan College has broken ground on a 150-bed, on-campus housing community in Farmington, N.M. The college’s board of trustees approved $10.5 million to finance the construction. In June of 2020, The Durango Herald reported the college had secured a loan of just over $14 million from the New Mexico Finance Authority to construct the project.
The 37,552-square-foot building will comprise one-, two- and four-bed units across three floors. Planned amenities include a student kitchen, walking trails, disc golf courses and study areas on each floor.
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Jaynes Corp. was tapped to serve as the construction manager. Dekker, Perich and Sabatini designed the project, which is expected to open in 2022. The architecture firm also designed a 325-unit, 318,000-square-foot luxury multifamily project in north Phoenix that’s scheduled for completion nex year.
Located on the corner of Sunrise Parkway and Education Drive, the project is within walking distance of SSJC Health and Human Performance Center. Downtown Farmington is 4 miles from the development.
Keen on Sanitation, Safety
The building’s design and amenities also incorporate the latest sanitization industry standards, including touchless sanitizer, hand soap and towel dispensers. Apart from signage and reminders regarding sanitation protocol, training will be provided to students regarding proper sanitation practice for their living areas and common spaces, and plexiglass screens will be placed at the reception desk, a San Juan College representative told Multi-Housing News. Additionally, the design team ensured that the correct air exchanges incorporate the latest American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) filter requirements.
Apart from the existing outdoor spaces across the campus where students can study and connect with each other, the upcoming residence will incorporate areas designed to allow for social distancing. These include a large courtyard area where students can gather, dine and study, as well as a large common area and three indoor study areas for small groups of three or less students.
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One of the most significant hurdles the project faced in the design stages due to the pandemic was related to market expense increases. “Due to an increase in the cost of supplies and materials, adjustments had to be made to offset the cost by altering the design to decrease labor expenses,” Chris Harrelson, San Juan College Senior Director of Physical Plant, told MHN.
The entire drafting and design process was completed virtually, Harrelson added. “While the pandemic may have created challenges, we, along with our partners (…) kept moving forward, found ways to ensure we met our deadlines and accomplished our goals.”
The supply of student housing assets is projected to slow down throughout 2021. Investors are forecasting that approximately 39,000 beds are to be delivered by the end of this year—that’s 20 percent less than the five-year historical average of completions.
