Emporia State University in Kansas held a ribbon cutting ceremony on July 26 to officially open its brand-new Schallenkamp Hall. The modern living/learning community was designed by St. Louis, MO-based KWK Architects, with HTK Architects of Topeka, Kansas serving as the architect-of-record.
The 91,000-square-foot building, which will house 324 students, is named after Kay Schallenkamp, Emporia State University’s 14th president and the first woman to lead a Kansas Board of Regents university.
Students have begun moving into the new $19.4 million Schallenkamp Hall for the fall semester, which begins in mid-August.
“The process of designing the new residence hall was very inclusive, with a close-knit client group that included representatives from a wide variety of stakeholders, including students, faculty, residential life, student affairs, building services, information technology and others,” said KWK Architects Principal Javier Esteban. “Schallenkamp Hall is a true reflection of the students’ wants and needs.”
The hall’s design features four stories and three residential wings, each with a variety of bedroom configurations (doubles, accessible doubles, singles and singles + bathroom). The residential wings are also designed with lounge areas, corridors with natural light and community bathrooms that afford privacy.
A learning commons in the hall features two music practice rooms, art studio, team study room, mid-sized classroom, flexible collaboration space and two-story lounges with community kitchens.
About KWK Architects
Founded in 2013 by five architects with a combined 120 years of higher education knowledge and experience, KWK Architects partners with colleges and universities across the United States to create innovative and inspiring places that enhance campus life. Areas of expertise include student housing and dining, and academic and science/technology spaces. KWK Architects has completed more than $1 billion in construction-valued projects since its founding and currently employs a growing staff of 15 at its headquarters in St. Louis, MO. For more information about KWK Architects, visit www.kwkarchitects.com or contact Director of Marketing Cindy Hausler at cindyh@kwkarchitects.com.
