Located at the southeast corner of Arizona State University’s Tempe campus, The Hassayampa Academic Village houses dorm rooms and classrooms, as well as computing, dining, and retail components. Organized as a series of four-story courtyard buildings, the complex is anchored by two towers that flank the primary connections to campus and serve as thresholds to shared gallery spaces. 

With each building, four floors of student communities are organized around social lounges shared by adjacent levels. Paneled facades of sand-colored brick unify the academic village, while each set of student suites is finished in a different color, providing a cohesive identity while also creating visual variety.  

The buildings’ orientation and envelope are designed to reduce environmental impact and harness breezes. Canopies shade outdoor public spaces, which in turn temper the environment around the buildings, ensuring that the complex provides a comfortable experience within its physical setting.

“The surprise is that you have this masonry exterior and inside you have these bursts of color that define the space.”

— Judge from the 2008 RADA Awards Panel