The project’s primary goal is to help transform the physical campus and rejuvenate the campus experience so that the university can reach its goal of becoming a Top 20 institution. It is also designed to encourage students to stay on campus longer by providing them with a quality living and learning environment. While the new buildings will include contemporary interior spaces, the exteriors will feature traditional brick facades and deep overhangs that match the Clemson aesthetic, making the village an ideal new entrance for the campus.

The central hub facility will be a key place for students to meet and engage, with a bookstore, coffee shop, 400-seat dining hall, convenience store and deli. Housing on the complex’s west side will be geared toward upperclassmen, with four apartment-style buildings. Approximately 700 beds will be available in studio-, two- and four-bedroom apartments. On the east side, an additional 780 beds will be spread across three buildings in double-occupancy rooms for students enrolled in the traditional Clemson program.

All eight buildings will be LEED Silver certified and include sustainable features such as directional, non-intrusive LED parking-area lighting that can be programmed remotely to shut off when not in use. A tree survey was also conducted on campus in order to preserve as many trees as possible during the project. Of the 800 trees existing on campus prior to construction, 300 will need to be removed; however, 400 additional trees will be planted in their place.

While the $212 million expansion project construction will focus on the eight new buildings, a large portion of the work will also go toward establishing supportive infrastructure, according to Clemson University team members Mike Parker, project manager, and Doug Hallenbeck, executive director for University Housing and Dining. This includes work related to utilities such as natural gas, potable water, storm water, sanitary sewers, electrical and communication systems, a central energy plant with chilled water distribution, roads and parking lots.

Washington, D.C.-based Ayers Saint Gross, Columbia, S.C.-based The Boudreaux Group and Virginia Beach, Va.-headquartered Clark Nexsen worked collaboratively to design the massive project. Parker and Hallenbeck said that students were also actively involved in the early phases of design, and focus groups have been used throughout the project to help make decisions on things such as furniture and food options.

The project team also has had to work closely with the city of Clemson residents, many of whom live adjacent to the development and were concerned about the impact this project would have on their neighborhood. It took several meetings and some honest conversations, but the two groups were able to come to a resolution, added Parker and Hallenbeck.

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Columbia, S.C.-based Boudreaux Group is serving as the architect on the $212.7 million project, joined by Virginia Beach, Va.-headquartered Clark Nexsen and Washington, D.C.-based Ayers Saint Gross for architectural design and engineering. Greensboro, N.C.-based Holden Construction Company is serving as the general contractor. The project is designed to achieve LEED Silver certification.

The South Carolina State Budget and Control Board Tuesday approved the sale of $183 million in bonds to finance construction of the student housing, retail and activity hub on the former Douthit Hills housing development. The project is divided into three zones: the West Zone, Central Zone and East Zone.

The West Zone will be comprised of five- and six-story residence halls, with 980 beds for upperclassmen. The new buildings will be a mix of studios and two- and four-bedroom apartments.

The East Zone will feature another group of four-story buildings, which will house 750 beds in traditional doubles for a select group of freshman. The East Zone housing facilities will also include a new-to-Clemson bathroom style called a “wet core.” Three locations on each floor will hold a cluster of three to four bathroom modules that include a toilet, sink and shower behind a single closed door allowing for privacy within the community.

The Central Zone will feature a 400-seat dining facility, a campus bookstore, a fitness center and other services for residents. The dining facility will also provide a gathering space for student groups to study or meet. Retail establishments such as a Starbucks Coffee, a convenience store and a deli will also be included. Construction is scheduled for completion in summer 2018.

While Douthit Hills is geared toward upperclassmen, the $96 million Core Campus project, which is also underway, will primarily house freshmen, sophomores and honors program students. The 260,000-square-foot project will have beds for 700 students and will include a dining hall that seats up to 1,000, replacing facilities that are more than 60 years old. The project is slated for completion in December 2016.

The student housing projects are being constructed at a time when the university is trying to catch up with its own growth and reach into a private housing market that has been growing rapidly to provide enough beds for Clemson students, reported Greenville Online. Clemson has increased its enrollment by more than 5,000 students over the past 10 years while reducing the number of on-campus housing units. A recent study by the city of Clemson found current rental properties at 99 percent occupancy. Several hundred students were living in hotels last semester because apartments they had planned to rent hadn’t been given the green light for occupancy by the city in time.

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