Project File: Modernizing campus

Sept. 1, 2006
Worcester State College, Worcester, Mass.

Revitalizing the residential area of Worcester State College, Worcester, Mass., is an important goal for the college as it moves away from its commuter-based past. Wasylean Hall, the school's six-story, 348-bed student residence hall, not only provides much-needed housing, but also reconstructs the campus to function more smoothly, provides a gathering space for outdoor events and updates the school's image.

“Students today expect a certain quality of life from on-campus residency, and we are pleased to have this beautiful new hall to offer them, which also fills a great need for on-campus housing,” says Janelle Ashley, president.

Capitalizing on this opportunity, the building is sited to address a major concern with the college's physical layout. A large parking lot separated the residential campus from the academic center. By introducing a new pedestrian plaza where a parking lot once existed and by forming a steel and glass curtainwall at the central knuckle of an ell, the design team created a new gateway to the upper residential campus. The building provides a generous plaza to accommodate the 1,000 on-campus residents who walk daily between campuses.

The architect for this project is ADD Inc., Cambridge, Mass.

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