The University of St. Thomas, a private Catholic university in Houston, has broken ground on a residence hall that will house more than 400 students, doubling the school’s current housing capacity. 

With Corgan as the architect of record and Lawrence Group as the design architect, the five-story, 95,000-sf building will offer the school’s growing student population places to relax, socialize, and spend time on campus outside the classroom. 

To ensure the design reflects students’ needs and preferences, Corgan conducted a series of focus groups with student cabinet, student government, and residence life student leaders. Participants’ feedback on living and community spaces and amenities informed design decisions involving the residence hall’s furniture, student room capacities, and technology.

The final building design offers various communal and multipurpose spaces, such as lounges and study zones, that will provide opportunities for spontaneous interactions and organized events. Students also will gather on the new front lawn and courtyard, which will feature comfortable seating, grills, and games.

For Houston’s only Catholic university, the new residence hall will include an in-house chapel designed by Jackson & Ryan Architects. The chapel will feature dedicated prayer spaces for individuals and small student groups.

Each floor of the hall will thematically embody one of the university’s core values—goodness, discipline, knowledge, and community—with specific color palettes and design elements.

The hall’s unit types will comprise single and double two-bedroom/one-bath units, three-bedroom/one-bath units, four-bedroom/two-bath semi-suite units, and two staff apartments.

The residence hall is expected to open for students in fall 2028. After the dorm is completed, almost one-quarter of the university’s roughly 3,365 undergraduates will live on campus, according to The Houston Chronicle.

“UST is focusing on student success, which includes a wonderfully rich academic life, a vibrant campus life, and, most importantly, access to on-campus living so students can enjoy every minute of their college experience,” the university’s president, Sinda Vanderpool, said in a statement.

On the building team: University of St. Thomas, Houston (owner), Turner & Townsend (owner’s project manager and representative), Corgan (architect of record), Lawrence Group (design architect), Jackson & Ryan Architects (chapel’s design architect), M2L Associates (landscape architect), IMEG (MEP engineer), Ensight Haynes Whaley (structural engineer), Kimley-Horn (civil engineer), Harvey Cleary Builders (construction manager at risk).