mimicking contours to match its context
The 500 bed student residences are organized into two six-storey towers connected by a two-storey hub building. These elements are arranged to shelter a courtyard, which is animated by a performance space backing onto the hub building. The cladding and roof lines of the building echo the architecture of adjacent residences, integrating the new building into its context. The project has achieved LEED Silver.
The Memorial University Residences measures 11,000 m².
The Memorial University Residences are located on the campus of Memorial at 230 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John's.
The Memorial University Residences were completed in 2013 and currently provide housing for hundreds of Memorial students from all over the world.
To reconcile the scale of the two, six-storey buildings with their surroundings, careful attention was paid to massing and cladding. The length of the two bars was broken-up by introducing an angle into the footprint, which also serves to open up the space between the two buildings into a more generous courtyard. The mansard roof draws inspiration from the form and materiality of adjacent residences, while also serving to visually mitigate the building’s height. The integration of the new residences into their context is furthered by their masonry facades: the colour palette of the concrete block echoes that of the older residences’ brickwork, while subtle banding serves to moderate the sense of height.
