Student housing experts weigh in on what they’d love to see from developers, colleges, and universities

For our Student Housing Trends report for recently released 2025 Multifamily Annual Report, we asked AEC experts for the one piece of advice they’d offer to the student housing sector. Here’s what they told us.

BE STRAIGHTFORWARD ABOUT BUDGET, SCHEDULE

“Everyone needs to put their cards on the table at the start of the project and hold to that budget and schedule. Everyone knows when the students are coming, and you have to hit that date.”
— Jake Landreneau, Vice President of Technology & Innovation, Juneau Construction

“So many problems would be solved if we knew from day one that this is the budget we need to meet.”
—Cody Whittle, Vice President of Operations, Andres Construction

“If owners could give their teams the luxury of the time to get it exactly the way they want it, that would result in much better outcomes for projects.”
—Kristina Singiser, AIA, DBIA, LEED AP, Managing Principal, HMC Architects

SEEK A WIDE RANGE OF INPUTS

“Bring in the primary goals from the community and the users, and integrate the big moves that will be carried throughout the duration of the project.”
—Matt Post, AIA, Associate Principal, OZ Architecture

“Try to have a diverse team in your design studio—people who are parents, people who are single, different genders, races, ethnicity, a variety of birthplaces—to support the experience of the residents.”
—Ben Kasdan, FAIA, LEED AP, NCARB, Design Director, KTGY 

“Don’t focus exclusively on the building alone early in the project. Think about the site, and coordinate with your civil and MEP team to make sure all the utilities you’re going to need are in place.”
—Lorne Bourdo, AIA, Principal | Project Manager, OZ Architecture

“The most important part of our job is to listen—to students, faculty, administrators—and to recognize that students have the ability to make informed decisions about their housing preferences.”
—Sara G. Stein, AIA, Principal, Page

THROW AWAY THE COOKIE CUTTER

“Balancing standardization with what makes sense for a specific student housing project is really important. We’re in a period where there’s growing innovation in typology, and we need to be designing spaces that support how students really live, not some cookie-cutter solution.”
—Ian Dickensen, AIA, Associate Principal, Sasaki

“The planning process is so important today. Ten years ago you weren’t ordering equipment and materials two years out, or worrying about whether the electric utility could give you enough power.”
—Mike Grever, General Manager of Commercial, The Weitz Company

“In designing for first-year students, make the living spaces a bit uncomfortable, so that you push them out into lounges. We don’t want to lock 18-year-olds behind closed doors.”
—James Sink, AIA, DBIA, LEED AP, Higher Education Practice Leader, HMC Architects

“It’s important to test systems in the field. One window manufacturer told us one thing about their windows’ air tightness but in the field they didn’t work quite that well. Work with your contractor to make sure those details come together and prove that the product works.”
—Lynn McBride, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Partner, Mithun

RENOVATION, FLEX SPACE, AND TRASH (YES, TRASH)

“In renovating older buildings, plan to dedicate about 20% of residential area to ‘enrichment spaces.’ Our studies have shown that these spaces benefit student retention, their GPAs, and their overall academic success.”
—Mark Warner, AIA, Design Director | Principal, Page

“Giving flex space a clear meaning and purpose while also allowing it to shift over time is crucial. And be sure to incorporate generous storage places within or near the flex space.”
—Elizabeth Lowrey, FIIDA, RDI, Principal, Elkus Manfredi Architects

“This may sound silly, but the more I do student housing, the more I hear about trash. You need a trash chute that’s readily accessible and space below for a compactor, and enough room for a truck to get in to pick up the bins.”
—Donny Kim, AIA, LEED AP, Associate Principal, Director of Student Housing, Cooper Carry

WHO’S THE BOSS?

“Remember, in campus housing, the real client is the students, not the university.”
—Paul Graves, PE, Fitwel Ambassador, Principal, CMTA Consulting Engineers