Designing community spaces that foster students to socialize + develop lasting relationships
EUA understands that socializing in college is key to building lasting relationships and student well-being. Designing cross-functioning spaces offer flexibility as well as synergy between occupants in a comfortable, casual environment. For first year students, the transition away from home can be tricky. It is important to incorporate different spaces for social gathering throughout a residence hall so students have options and can meet others to create relationships.
Until recently, one of the most important things a college student wanted in their housing was privacy. The emphasis on privacy gave way to the potential for isolation among college students. This is especially true if the residence hall had little to no common spaces for socializing. Today, we are now rethinking this and incorporating many different types of common spaces to help foster a sense of community.
At EUA, we strive to go above and beyond the bare minimum of design standards and elevate the resident experience by focusing on equality and inclusion through Universal Design. At UW-Whitewater, EUA worked closely with campus representatives to design a residence hall for freshman students that focused on inclusive spaces for students of all abilities.
