The University of Delaware’s Laird Campus is a 16-acre student residence hall precinct located north of the campus core. The project replaced outdated housing facilities and associated commons buildings with 1,600 new beds and community spaces over the course of a three-phase construction schedule. By phasing the projects, existing beds were not demolished until new beds were ready for occupancy. The project brings the Georgian architecture of the main campus to the residential precinct, strengthening the identity of the Laird Campus as part of the larger university community. A new pedestrian bridge across a ravine further reduces the perceptual distance to the campus core.

New campus landscapes were designed to complement the updated housing. Concentrated along a central spine and connected to the buildings by plazas, the landscapes enhance the student experience and overall neighborhood feel. Overlooks emphasize the connection to nature. The landscape palette of the central campus extends to this new development with brick walkways and open green spaces framed by rows of canopy trees.