Location: Miami Gardens, Florida

Completion Date: 2020

Project Size: 116,000 sf // 400 Beds

Project Description

With the recent influx of students on campus, a new living learning community will provide a holistic environment in which students can grow. One of the prime advantages of living on campus is the chance to meet students from a wide variety of backgrounds. This diverse integration lends itself to a rich student community and further enhances the culture of the college.

The proposed living learning community at Florida Memorial University draws inspiration from the roots of FMU’s history of self reliance in which students constructed many of the buildings themselves. The design is a series of solid building blocks that together form a united whole. It is a representation of the coming together that occurs when student’s undergo an educational journey - each person fully necessary for achieving a greater goal.

Design Principles

The design of the Florida Memorial Student Residences is centred around the concept of foundation // growth. Florida Memorial is a school where one not only finds their place, but also from which to expand beyond. As such, the design of the student residence is intended to represent the richness and heritage of this inherent progression through architecture - to create a place for students to live, learn, and grow.

Building Overview

The dormitory wing organization contains six double occupancy living quarters organized about a central core containing three restrooms, a living room, and a kitchen. Each community is about 2500 sf and contains 12 beds. The individual rooms are sleeping and study units, whereas a larger commons area encourages social interaction and community engagement.

The dormitory-style wing reduces the amount of kitchen and bathroom equipment required in the building, which reduces overall building cost.

This community building is a flexible community space - for example a cafe or multi-purpose event space. It anchors the plaza and draws in students from both dormitories and the rest of campus.

Design Features