As part of overall multi-campus master planning for Iowa Valley Community College, OPN assessed three residence halls at the Ellsworth campus in Iowa Falls, Iowa, to determine whether the college should renovate and add onto their existing dorms or construct a new dorm.

The college did not want a short-term fix. A new dorm building will meet student bed count needs while also serving to attract and retain students by providing an safe, inviting, comfortable, updated option for students. The building will also grow the on-campus living community.

The campus connection influenced the site selection, placement, massing moves, and material palette. The new residence hall establishes a campus boundary on the north, and helps create a new campus commons area/greenspace to the south. The terracotta façade blends with the traditional red-brick campus building palette, but allows for a more contemporary appearance.

Inside, the common spaces are organized to the south of the building to allow for overlook opportunities to the existing campus. The design features a two story vertical opening that connects the common areas between level two and three. This opening serves to increase the community connection between floors, while still allowing for different social/study opportunities and different atmospheres of focus/privacy.

The residence hall includes:

• 127 beds with suite style rooms
• 2-bed, suite style rooms (4 beds sharing 1 restroom)
• 1-bed, suite style rooms (2 beds sharing 1 restroom)
• Greenspace connecting back into existing greenspace on campus.
• Potential for extending the residence hall with additional development into this space into the future.