Name: Hunter Hall
Opened: August 2019
Architects: PBK Architects
For its 45-year history, the University of Houston-Clear Lake was known primarily as a commuter campus. Steps to change the student experience were taken in 2019 when the campus opened its first residence hall. The 80,000-square-foot building includes 186 rooms with almost 300 bed spaces. Room layouts include suite-style double (two rooms connected by a bathroom), suite-style shared single (two private rooms with a shared bathroom), and single with private bath (one single room with a private bathroom).
Open to all student populations, including graduate students, the centrally located hall features suite-style rooms as well as a number of community-building features. The first floor is home to a community kitchen and, just outside its doors, are courtyard and patio areas. In addition, each floor has laundry facilities, study lounges, and community lounges decked out with flat screen televisions.
The decision to add housing was the result of the university’s decision in 2014 to begin offering first-year and sophomore-level classes. As the student population grew, so did campus facilities, including a new Recreation and Wellness Center, STEM and Classroom Building, and Hunter Hall, named for the school’s mascot, Hunter the Hawk. Matthew Perry was hired in January 2019, about halfway through construction of the residence hall, to serve as director of student housing and residential life, oversee the remaining construction, and develop a student housing program. “Thanks to a strong partnership with the University of Houston System,†says Perry, “we were able to construct a beautiful facility that will serve as a home away from home for our students.â€
— James A. Baumann
CALL FOR SPOTLIGHTS
Due to overwhelming demand to see more new residence halls, we are now devoting more space to the Spotlight section. Send us your information at talkingstick@acuho-i.org.
