Residential College Conceptual Design Workshop

The campus at Universidad de las Americas has a rich inventory of courtyards and buildings that integrate landscape design and art, primarily bronze sculpture and locally produced talavera pottery. In September 2003, Hanbury undertook a study of the campus and residential college system to identify potential sites for a new residential college. In the late 90's, new administration to the University brought inspiration from their previous post at Yale University and developed a plan for the campus and converted existing housing into residential colleges, which provide a unique offering for campus housing at a Mexican university.

The team developed programming based on a student community of 300 with traditional rooms and shared baths, shared common spaces, a master's house, and resident fellows apartments. Hanbury's analysis of the campus plan identified six potential sites for the new college and general strategies for shaping spaces to respond to the Mexican courtyard culture.