Hillside Commons is a new 332-bed, off campus student housing project in
Oneonta, New York developed by the Newman Development Group and occupied at the beginning of
the 2014 academic year. The contemporary modular design facility features an abundance of comfort
and convenience amenities such as integrated multimedia rooms, game rooms, a state of the art fitness
center, facility-wide Wi-Fi, and private courtyards.
Delta provided architectural design, space planning, partial interior design, and finish selection as well
as mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection design services for this project. The architectural
scope of work included full architectural product specifications, overall code review, life safety plans
for each level of the building, floor plans, elevations, and collaboration on the interior design. Off-site
construction of the individual, modular housing units was provided by Deluxe Building Systems, located
in Berwick, PA. The use of modular housing units as opposed to on-site construction provided significant
quality advantages while removing scheduling uncertainties. Delta also designed the exterior finish of
the facility which was constructed on-site.
The student housing suites employ independent, self-contained PTAC (packaged terminal air
conditioning) systems that offer great flexibility for the residents and the facility owners. Common areas
such as corridors employ gas-fired air handing systems to provide tempered ventilation air, while other
common areas such as the study areas, lounges, and the fitness room use a variable refrigerant flow
system heat pump system to provide heating and cooling for separate spaces using the same system.
The plumbing design for the housing modules was coordinated to permit the placement and connection
of individual units to the central building water supply and sanitary systems during construction. The
individual modules were also prewired for electric and fire protection system installation.
In addition to architectural and engineering design services, Delta provided construction administration
services to support the on-site construction schedule. Delta also facilitated the collaborative design
process with the modular construction and structural design team, site structural designers, MEP, and
fire protection contractors during the design and construction.