The early-model college dorm didn’t lend itself especially well to developing a strong bond between student (i.e., future alumni donor) and university, so as college officials and architects rethink the cheap boxes of old, the focus turns to what matters most: people-centered, sustainable experiences for the modern student.

Douglas Hall, Seattle University

While mixing housing with a student center and commercial retail in an urban environment, Seattle-based firm Hewitt added in modern materials—preformed metal, cement, reclaimed lumber, and brick—with strong interior daylighting (light is king in the Pacific Northwest) according to Built Green standards; a stormwater system serves as an educational courtyard. David Hewitt, principal, says that now more than ever, “The younger generation is more sensitive to the importance of the resources we have and want to feel like their facility is responsible.”

McMurtry and Duncan Colleges, Rice University

While playing well with the campus’s historic and tree-rich nature, Hopkins Architects with Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas + Company created a strong tie between interior and exterior spaces with healthy swaths of light in flexible spaces and green roofs. Custom-designed prefab bathroom pods and HVAC infrared room sensors highlight the LEED Gold efforts.

William R. Greiner Hall, State University of New York at Buffalo

Cannon Architects drew in the students to the multistory glass-and-brick-clad dorm with double-room suites, a cafe, multiuse classrooms, and fireplace lounges—and then educated them about LEED Gold with Plyboo walls, tiles manufactured out of recycled bottles, building-cooling techniques, accessibility-minded features, and an intricate bioswale system.