Opened: August 2020Architects: Bohlin Cywinski Jackson Architects
The New College House at the University of Pennsylvania was tasked with achieving a number of goals and, since opening last August, the thirteenth College House on the campus has lived up to the task. One of the primary goals was to support the campus’s second-year experience, which would require all first- and second-year students to live on campus. It did that by adding more than 450 beds in suite-style rooms, approximately 70 percent of which are for sophomores.
Additionally, New College House was designed to provide a variety of gathering spaces. Along with the customary study rooms and a multipurpose space, there are music practice rooms, a fitness space, coffee shop, and smaller community kitchens. It is also home to the Quaker Kitchen, a café that holds about 75 diners and serves restaurant-style meals. The kitchen is also a teaching lab that provides opportunities for students to learn about food preparation and nutrition. Most of these spaces are surrounded by large windows that let in natural light and provide views of the city and campus green spaces that could host events of more than 1,000 attendees. A courtyard in the center of the structure includes a lush rain garden and provides plenty of seating.
— James A. Baumann