Education

Champlain College Unveils Residential Campus

 Designed by CBT

DCIM100MEDIA

A main feature of the new Res-Tri complex is much needed grassy quad bounded by an outdoor amphitheater.

Burlington, VT – Champlain College students were welcomed back to campus this past fall beginning the new school year with a major amenity that has been missing throughout the College’s 136-year history: a residential campus.

Champlain College’s intimate campus is nestled among the stately historic homes that comprise The Hill neighborhood of Burlington. To draw Champlain students on campus and to live near the core campus, CBT Architects was challenged to create contextually sensitive residence halls that fit the neighborhood fabric while attracting students to a vibrant place to live, learn and connect with one another.

The $30 million, multi-phased, 370-bed residential quadrangle project provides the college with three residence halls – Juniper, Valcour and Butler Hall, a pedestrian spine that links to the core campus and Main Street Burlington, and “The Finney Quad” which is formed by the three new and existing residence halls. The new residential quadrangle is a critical component of the college’s master plan which includes bringing 90% of the student body on campus. Taking advantage of the clear vistas to the Appalachians and Lake Champlain on a site previously used as a parking lot, the Quad brings much needed central green space to campus within the urban context of the College and will host residential life year round activities, such as the college’s annual “Rail Jam.”

Given the historic nature of The Hill, the new residences are thoughtfully scaled and articulated to fit the local architectural context and maintain the historic integrity of the neighborhood. Along the street edge, the buildings are clad in brick, with dormers, porches, and detailing that responds to the residential neighborhood context. The quad-facing facades feature a contemporary architectural expression of the prevailing campus, creating a separate internal identity reflective of the energy of today’s student life experience. Porches are a recognized architectural and cultural motif in Burlington and the new buildings feature large communal porches on both the street facing and quad facing entrances.

Key design features support the project’s LEED Gold certification including high performance windows and exterior envelope design, heat recovery systems, geothermal sourced heat pumps for  cooling and heating, ultra-low flow fixtures, natural day lighting with auto sensors for light fixture controls, Building Management Systems for all HVAC components, energy efficient appliances and laundry machines, and recycling centers on every floor.”