Facilities - Civilian Housing
Phase I
Norwich University has aspirations to continue to balance the two populations that the University supports – corps and civilian. PDR|P worked with the master plan committee and division heads to establish impact points for adding a limited amount of additional students to campus, as well as shifting commuter student population to residential student population. The master plan defines three phases of civilian housing, resulting in an ultimate build-out of 750 beds. Phase one is 280 beds.
Locating 750 beds in a single area was paramount to the site planning, thereby creating community among the civilian students. Although as many as six sites were analyzed at first, the Upper and Lower Disney sites were one of the few locations on campus that could support a development of this size. It was also critical that the development tie into the existing campus fabric. To that end, phase one of the housing aligns with path systems of the Upper Parade. The master plan also identifies a potential project of a bridge that links the elevation of the Upper Parade to that of the civilian housing. This accomplishes several things: separates pedestrian and automobile traffic, eliminates the requirement to walk down and back up the topography, and provides an ADA-accessible means of traversing from the civilian housing to the main campus, notably the new campus center.
Within the buildings, PDR|P has worked extensively with the building committee and students to establish a hybrid typology that combines the efficiency of a dormitory with the amenities of a suite-style residence hall. The building is divided into two-story 20-person dwelling units which share a large, double-height living room. There is a 5:1 student to bathroom ratio, and a 4:1 doubles to singles ratio. A small kitchenette and study room is also included in each dwelling unit.
