University of St. Thomas breaks ground on new Houston residence hall
Key Highlights
- The new residence hall will house nearly 400 students and include various unit types such as singles, doubles, triples, and semi-suites.
- Design incorporates student feedback through focus groups to optimize living, study, and community spaces, including technology and furniture needs.
- Features include communal lounges, collaborative study areas, multipurpose spaces, and outdoor amenities like a lawn, courtyard, grills, and games.
- Faith-based spaces, including an in-house chapel and prayer rooms, are integrated to support spiritual life on campus.
The University of St. Thomas in Houston has broken ground on a new residence hall that will expand student housing and provide additional spaces for study, community, and spiritual life.
The 95,000-square-foot residence hall is designed to house nearly 400 students and nearly double the university’s current student housing capacity. Corgan is the prime architect for the project and is working with Lawrence Group on the design.
The five-story building is intended to give more students opportunities to live on campus and participate more fully in university life outside the classroom. In addition to residential units, the project includes communal lounges, collaborative study areas, and multipurpose spaces designed to support both informal interaction and organized student events.
Student input helped shape the design. Corgan conducted focus groups with student cabinet, student government, and residence life student leaders to gather feedback on living spaces, community areas, amenities, furniture, study room capacities, and technology needs.
As Houston’s only Catholic university, the University of St. Thomas also incorporated faith-based spaces into the residence hall. The building will include an in-house chapel and dedicated prayer spaces for individuals and small groups.
Each level of the residence hall will reflect one of the university’s core values—community, knowledge, discipline, and goodness—using individualized color palettes and design elements to distinguish the floors.
Residential unit types will include single and double two-bedroom/one-bath units, three-bedroom/one-bath units, four-bedroom/two-bath semi-suite units, and two staff apartments, according to project information provided for the announcement.
Why This Matters
Student housing is increasingly tied to recruitment, retention, belonging, and the overall campus experience. This project shows how universities are using residence halls not only to add beds, but to create environments that support student engagement, academic collaboration, wellness, and institutional mission.