Veasey Residence Hall Renovations
Hendrix College
Conway, Arkansas
Size 27,000 sq/ft
Project Details 115 Total Beds
The WER design team conducted a feasibility study and condition assessment on six heritage residence halls at Hendrix College in 2019. The result of this study was a prioritized list of buildings that had the most need for renovations. In addition to the typical finish upgrades that all buildings needed, the study also revealed significant environmental concerns related to humidity and temperature control. Following this study, Veasey and Martin Hall were the two buildings that ranked highest on the priority list. Built in 1966, Veasey Hall had not had a significant renovation or major upgrades to the 115 bed residence hall.
The trend with student residence halls today has shifted from the community bathrooms to private toilets with showers. The model that has been adopted by Hendrix is to have individual shower/toilet rooms that can provide a private bathing experience. Additional lavatories have been provided outside of these rooms to provide students a space to access a sink without having to occupy a private room.
The most significant work to resolve the environmental problems involved replacing the HVAC systems with new code compliant air distribution and humidity control along with the introduction of fresh air into the building to provide a much safer and cleaner environment for the students. With the increase in mobile devices being used by students, the existing WiFi system was expanded throughout the building so every student will have access to wireless connectivity and bandwidth no matter where they are in the building.
The student experience was greatly improved throughout the building by upgrading furniture, finishes and lighting in the main lobby, corridors and student rooms. Study rooms were added throughout the three story building to accommodate more small group and individual study. Another trend in today’s residence hall design is to combine group study and TV rooms with laundry facilities. This gives students the opportunity to multi-task while studying or down time gaming and watching TV.
