University of Alabama John England Jr. Residence Hall
Caddell constructed a four-story/160,000 SF dormitory featuring 496 beds with each room accommodating two students with their own bathroom and kitchenette. The building structure is cold-form steel metal studs with poured in place concrete slabs on floors one through four.
The new building is by far the most modern and sophisticated residence hall on the UA campus and ranks among the best in the nation. Its construction was similarly a showcase for the application of advanced construction technology. The residence hall stands tall among all recent college dormitory construction nationwide with a return to two beds per room.
Bucking a decades-long trend towards attracting new students by offering more privacy and individual space, two people share a modest sized bedroom and bathroom with a small “kitchenette” (mini-microwave and refrigerator. Not only is this a more efficient use of dormitory square footage, it is designed to encourage:
- interaction with the general student community and spending more time “outside”.
- A safe haven from the storms. After the devastating F-4 tornado of April 2011 that tore through Tuscaloosa and killed 64 people, including six University of Alabama students, even more emphasis was placed on providing secure storm shelters in new campus construction. Our dorm features a 32,000 SF concrete and steel reinforced basement that can accommodate up to 1,600 people.
- A 2000 SF in-house convenience store operated by the University is located on the first floor and offers a wide array of food, personal items and toiletries, and school materials and supplies.
The new dorm is co-ed, but with floors designated as male or female and an elaborate access control system to ensure student security and accountability. A large activities area in the basement is available for meetings, events, and general “hanging out”.
