Taking Student Housing to the Next Level

By Jeffrey Steele, Contributing Writer

Tulsa, Okla.—The first of three phases of purpose-built student housing and clubhouses in Lynchburg, Va., has been designed by KSQ Architects. Phase I of The VUE @Liberty Mountain on the perimeter of Liberty University’s campus is a development of 168 apartments with 676 bedrooms.

Along with one-, two-, four-, five- and six-bedroom apartments, the state-of-the-art student community will feature a 16,000-square-foot clubhouse.

“KSQ’s specialization in student residence life, faith-based university culture and garden apartment-style living provides us with a unique insight and makes us an ideal partner for The VUE to plan, design and implement this project,” KSQ principal and co-director of KSQ Northeast Armand Quadrini told MHN.

“The Hub” clubhouse features a unique design and includes a 24-hour fitness center, tanning beds, game area, café, computer lab, study rooms, media center, lounges and front-door shuttle service to campus.

“The Oasis” courtyard, a 500-foot-long resort-style recreation area designed to allow students to relax, study and connect includes two tiered infinity salt water pools with sun shelf, ping-pong tables, hammock gardens, fire pits, grilling stations, outdoor theater, open green space and outdoor seating throughout.

The schedule KSQ faced proved to be the biggest design obstacle. “The team had nine short weeks to create the design and get the construction documents ready for bidding,” Quadrini said. “The experts on the team—from both KSQ and the consultants with whom we partnered—collaborated with an owner really motivated to work together. Communication was continual and enhanced with daily team viewer meetings with the client, architect and consultants.”

The developer, Lynchburg native Chris Langley, is a leader in multifamily and student housing in the Lynchburg market. CF Evans Construction of Orangeburg, S.C., is the general contractor.

“These apartments will be home for many Liberty University students as they pursue their college careers,” Quadrini said. “Many subtle appointments within the apartment homes will serve to build community among the students, while also preserving the privacy and dignity of daily life. For example, the common areas such as the technology-enabled study spaces and media sharing are features that build community, while the individual space accommodations are incredible privacy features. There are individual closeting accommodations in the apartment ‘mud rooms,’ individual food storage areas in the kitchen and private bedrooms. These subtle appointments along with the vast array of community amenities are what students can expect from The VUE @Liberty Mountain.”

Added Langley: “Our team is truly excited to take off-campus student housing to the next level. We’re using what we’ve learned over the last 23 years while serving more than 6,500 students and creating a whole new experience in dynamic, vibrant student living at The VUE @Liberty Mountain.”

Construction is slated for completion in July 2015.