Similar to the challenges presented in Leonard Hall, MCA assisted American University to modernize existing residence halls to accommodate the changing needs of their student population. MCA has completed several residential projects at American University—Centennial Residence Hall being the third and most recently completed such a project. The project involved a complete renovation of shared residence bathrooms, selective renovation of student sleeping rooms, improvements to shared residence hall amenities, and a full HVAC system replacement. MCA developed creative interior design solutions that included biophilic color combinations, and flexible furniture layouts that may be easily arranged in a variety of configurations. The layout of the core area on each floor was improved to enhance the functionality of common areas such as study rooms, community lounge spaces, laundry facilities, and kitchen spaces and to introduce daylight into more areas. The project included energy efficient upgrades to the mechanical systems which addressed fresh air code requirements and excessive bathroom humidity.

Project Highlights

• Upgraded HVAC system to address stale air and excessive humidity in the bathrooms.

• Upgraded fire alarm system to comply with current code.

• Updated all interior finishes.

• Planned common areas to introduce daylight into more spaces and to make the spaces feel more open.