Build it so they can come
Like many universities around the country, Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) was facing a severe shortage of student housing. “Bursting at the seams” was how Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp described it. As we wrap up another back-to-school season, we look back at this successful project from 2019, a testament to the possibilities of public-private partnerships.
PVAMU worked with long-time collaborator American Campus Communities to structure funding and develop a new living-learning community with 540 new beds. University View Apartments, phase nine of the housing masterplan, opened in 2020 just in time to welcome students for the fall semester. PRISM worked with architect STG Design to produce marketing and promotional renderings for the hotly anticipated project.
The new apartment community followed PVAMU’s model for an immersive student housing experience. As an “institution of the first class” as designated by the Texas Constitution, PVAMU is bound to address issues the affect the diverse ethnic and socioeconomic population of Texas and larger society. PVAMU implemented this in student housing as live-learn environments designed to create community, help students transition to collegiate life, and provide them resources for academic success. The $37.5 million University View Apartments opened with 148 units and 540 beds, a community center with social lounges, 13 individual study rooms, a fitness center, and plentiful outdoor gathering spaces. For the fall 2024 semester, University View Apartments has a waiting list.
