ANDY VANMATER | ARCHITECT + EDUCATOR | Urban Dormitory

<strong>Urban Dormitory</strong> (1 of 8)<br />This dormitory was designed for foreign exchange students at the University of Arkansas. The design caters to the dual nature of student life. On one side there are small rooms where each student can be secluded in their studies, while the other side (pictured) is a social gathering area full of light and air.

<strong>Urban Dormitory</strong> (2 of 8)<br />This rendering features the cell side of the building. The project was situated on a very narrow site, and contains a bookstore and café on the ground floor.

<strong>Urban Dormitory</strong> (3 of 8)<br />The appearance of buildings often differ and transform at night. This rendering shows how the cellular nature of the building can differentiate the monotonous façade.

<strong>Urban Dormitory</strong> (5 of 8)<br />This image depicts the social gathering area of the dormitory at night. Notice how the structural lattice lines up with the slope and distance of the stairs to allow a seamless interaction between space and structure.

<strong>Urban Dormitory</strong> (6 of 8)<br />This studio provided my introduction to detailing. I felt it was advantageous to model the details of the lattice work because the 2D drawings didn't seem to convey the intended message correctly. As time goes on I think it will become more common to have 3D details in construction documents.

<strong>Urban Dormitory</strong> (7 of 8)<br />A plan of the project at the social level.

<strong>Urban Dormitory</strong> (8 of 8)<br />This section illustrates how the social levels are staggered throughout the project to foster movement and interaction between floors.

Urban Dormitory (4 of 8)
This detailed section shows a room unit in great detail. The front wall of the room accordions away to reveal a balcony on each unit. Click here to download the same drawing as a high-resolution PDF.