Situated on a prominent site at the entry to campus, Starin
Residence Hall serves as a gateway for those approaching
via car or from the athletic and residential campus to the
north. A dense program of 446 student beds, administrative
offices, common areas, and staff apartments creates the
need for a five-story structure. The design is primarily plan
driven, but subtle variations in suite layout allow for facade
articulation in order to divide the building mass. Materials
incorporated within the facade interpret existing campus
buildings in a modern way including regional brick, precast
concrete, metal panels, and curtainwall.
The plan is arranged in two wings, and is connected on
the ground floor with common areas and on upper floors
via a fully glazed bridge. Each wing is divided in half by the
Residence Assistant Suite and Study Lounge in order to limit
the corridor dimension. The north wing corridor is angled
to create an additional layer of complexity to the building,
making it a reference to the entry point of the campus,
while also improving the privacy of the suites.
This project was awarded LEED Gold and was published
extensively in Wisconsin for being the first LEED Gold
building in the University of Wisconsin system, as well as
setting the new standard for Universal Design accessibility
for residence halls.