Middlebury College Student Residences

This new community of four student residential buildings is set on a west-facing slope just down from the main college campus in a rural Vermont town. The architecture steps down the site, opening views to the valley, while maintaining an approachable scale on the uphill, more residential edge of the campus. Three of the buildings are configured as townhomes and are arranged around a residential green space that provides a common area for students to gather.

The larger residence hall occupies a prominent location, looking out over the valley, and presents its façade as the gateway building for visitors approaching from the west.  Situated away from the larger, more formal buildings that define the college’s main campus, the new residences bridge the gap between the agrarian valley to the west, the residential neighborhood, and the nearby campus.

By providing townhouse and suite-style housing, the college can attract students who would otherwise be renting apartments in town, relieving the local housing burden by lowering the demand for off-campus housing. The new unit typologies provide a sense of community through shared living and gathering spaces, while also providing a sense of independence not typically exhibited in traditional student housing designs.