NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY MAKO HALL

Background

The seven-level NOVA Southeastern University Residence Hall project, which is located in Davie, Florida, was transformed from its original design of a cast-in-place mid-rise structure with block and stucco to a total precast design that included Metromont’s MetroDeck floor system, which was chosen for its low profile to produce a higher finished ceiling.

The newest residence hall at NSU for upperclassmen is this Type I, 7-story, 310,000 square foot precast building. With a focus on contemporary interiors and collaborative work and study areas, more than 600 beds have been made available. Mako Hall is more than just a resident hall; it combines living, learning, and playing with classrooms, study spaces, a kitchen patio, and other spaces for socializing outside dorm rooms. The building creates the perfect environment for student collaboration and social development by providing amenities, including an Innovation Center, a multipurpose area, and private and group study spaces on each floor.

Steel and glass components are incorporated into the contemporary Mediterranean style of design to give it a modern appearance and feel that matches the campus buildings already in place. The C-shaped Mako Hall serves as the campus’s focal point and separates the campus’s pedestrian-friendly College Avenue from it. Two sizable outside courtyards surround the building. The passive courtyard offers plenty of shade, while the active courtyard promotes social interaction among students with features like hammocks, a fire pit, and a grilling station.

The continuously insulated, load-bearing wall panels have four architectural sandblast treatments, intrinsic architectural colors, and a formliner to give them a distinctive appearance that blends in with the neighboring structures and benefits from lower life-cycle costs. For the project, Metromont produced 310,000 SF of MetroDeck System.

The quick building of the MetroDeck system was one of its main benefits. From contractor mobilization to student move-in, the NOVA Southeastern University residence hall project was completed in under 14 months.

Photos via Andy Frame Photography