Campus North Residential Commons

Students at the University of Chicago House System are part of a vibrant community, enriched by intellectual energy. Each house, distinct in traditions and culture, brings together students from varied backgrounds and disciplines, fostering a shared sense of space and spirit. Within these houses, students immerse themselves in the academic and cultural ethos of the College, interacting closely with fellow students, resident heads, and faculty. The house system extends classroom learning into daily life, blending academic and communal experiences to foster student success. Hanbury had the opportunity to immerse deeply in the Chicago House System through an initial phase of work which developed the master site plan, a ‘model house program,’ and preliminary concepts for eight houses. Following this initial phase, Hanbury partnered with Studio Gang Architects for the final design in a design-build competition.

The community is a new gateway portal to the campus linking the University to the Hyde Park neighborhood. Three buildings sensitively respond to the varied density contexts, stepping from the urban edge of 55th Street down to the scale of residential neighborhood along University Avenue. The facades are contemporary concrete panels inspired by the University’s architectural traditions and the house concept.

Green roofs and secure landscaped courtyards provide common space and contribute to one of the many features that earned this project LEED Gold certification, as they retain one hundred percent of stormwater and discharge it back into the ground, eliminating overflow from the Chicago sewer system.

A signature reading room on the 14th floor of the tallest building is used by the community and the campus, as it celebrates memorable vistas of Chicago.