McMurtry and Duncan Residential Colleges
Residential colleges are a signature strength of the Rice campus, and these new colleges help the University strategically grow by sustaining the culture of the colleges. As an outgrowth of the strategic plan prepared by Hanbury, these two new residential colleges complete the residential area on the north campus. Each College houses 328 students. The Colleges provide the traditional features of residential colleges including dedicated dining commons, libraries, master’s residences, civic space, and green space. The dining commons converts to theatre spaces for the respective colleges.
Both Colleges are designed to achieve Rice’s 2006 pledge to make all new buildings meet the National Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. Hanbury led the energy modeling effort for each of the colleges. Special features assist in the monitoring of energy use in the buildings. Additional features include the use of ‘green roof’ terraces, prefabricated bathrooms, and rainwater collection.
Hanbury worked as Executive Architect on the project and collaborated with the Design Architects, Hopkins Architects.
“The planning of the colleges was inspired by the 2004 Rice University Master Plan Study, but the elegant and subtly nuanced final design provided a living and learning environment that hardly could be imagined or surpassed.”Barbara White Bryson, former Associate VP for Facilities Engineering and Planning
