Auburn, Alabama
Auburn University South Donahue Residence Hall
264,000 square feet
This 264,000-square-foot residential facility comprises 418 beds dispersed among six (6) stories to house co-ed athletes and general students and has set a new precedent for high-end, on-campus living.
The design incorporates mostly two-bedroom/two-bath suites and also includes amenities such as a game-day lounge, central recreational courtyard for outdoor living space, an ultra-modern dining hall and more.
Units feature apartment style living with full kitchens, washer/dryer, flat screen TVs and common living room space. The new residence hall gived greater capacity for more student athletes to mingle, share experiences, and bond while being centrally located to all major sporting and training venues as well as the new Wellness Kitchen. Although this building replaces the former athletic dorm, current NCAA regulations require at least 51% of the units be occupied by the general population. This facility enables athletes from all sports to maintain their team camaraderie which is vital to their performance, but without feeling isolated from the college experience. The building is oriented so most of the rooms look over the major sporting and training venues.
The all-you-care-to-eat Wellness Kitchen is a modern-concept, full-service dining hall featuring an elevated dining terrace that opens up to Plainsman Park and provides views of Jordan Hare Stadium. This innovative dining concept gives students and student athletes the opportunity to build their meals based on recommendations from an on-site registered dietitian and prepared by professional chefs to help them prepare for and recover from competition, and injuries.
Chef stations include indoor and outdoor grills, hibachi grill station, brick oven pizza, and an allergy-free kitchen station for students with specific dietary requirements. A separate 3-level parking deck with capacity for 550+ cars was included as part of the South Donahue projects and is located across the street from dorms.
