East Quad

IDS had just completed several student housing renovations on the University of Michigan campus with national design firm, Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas. Next up was East Quad. There are many commonalities to these projects but no one could have anticipated the role of a ‘big old tree’. Big because the circumference measured almost 54 inches, and old because it is truly deemed a historic tree—it predates the State of Michigan back to the early 1800s. Needless to say, the tree provided one of the more unusual challenges of this project.

The East Quad residential facility was originally built in three sections with the north half in 1938, south in 1946, and in 1969 a theater was added. This facility has always been home to the LSA Residential College, the largest learning community on campus serving almost 900 students. In 2002, IDS was commissioned to do a feasibility study for the RC but the project did not come to fruition until 2010 when it was funded by UM Housing.

The project called for full infrastructure upgrades and complete renovations to both the public and private areas throughout the building. The nearly 300,000-square-foot renovation project had an aggressive timeline, and with the assistance of the Construction Manager Walbridge, the site was completed in July 2013.

The theater addition connected the north and south parts of the building with a garden patio and art courtyard, giving students a new social pathway throughout. Student rooms received air conditioning, new insulation, additional outlets for electrical and data, and full life safety and fire suppression updates. Community bathrooms were updated and given a residential feel to make students feel at home with spa-like shower heads and changing areas.

The building was recently awarded the Energy Star and has a 30% better than ASHRAE’s 2-90-I standard.