University of Pennsylvania, Gutmann College House is designed to promote the whole student, with flexible, dynamic living-learning spaces that encourage exploration and collaboration. The project integrates a varied program of landscapes, collaborative spaces, facilities, and amenities to help students find their place and embrace life on campus and within the city.

Comprised of a residential tower and two five-story wings, the 250,000 GSF purpose-built college house provides housing for 450 students and range of indoor and outdoor public, semiprivate, and private spaces. Thoughtful design of building mass, materials, neighbor-friendly outdoor spaces and landscape forms weave city and campus together. The project’s residential wings are organized around a secure courtyard and sweeping public lawn, designed as a social space for students and the broader community. With gently sloping pathways and new trees (the site includes 100 newly planted trees), the lawn provides a welcoming space ideal for varied events. The site was previously used by the community for concerts, and the improved green continues this tradition, with flexibility to accommodate gatherings up to 1,000 people. The lawn engages directly with the Locust Walk, a pedestrian thoroughfare linking campus and city.

Gutmann College House balances the dual needs of security and openness that are vital for an urban campus housing environment. Restricted to a single secure entry under the oversight of a 24/7 security guard, we choreographed outdoor public passageways, a publicly accessible interior cafe and multipurpose room, and secured house amenities to create indoor-outdoor connections, allow the public to weave through the site, and add vibrancy along adjacent city streets. Other collaborative spaces encourage interaction and serve varied group sizes, while quiet nooks provide space for reflection and solitary work.

The project provides students with a sense of choice and inclusivity, as well as opportunities for interaction and community building. A new approach to college house dining, Quaker Kitchen and a shared, glass-enclosed dining porch nurture community and promote healthy eating habits. The kitchen also serves as a teaching environment, where chef-led sessions provide hands-on learning and meal prep that can be implemented independently in student kitchens upstairs.