Butler Set to Revamp Student Residence Building

By Eric Althoff

INDIANAPOLIS—The Residential College (ResCo) at Butler University, which was first constructed in 1988, is getting ready for a major makeover. The facility, which is home mostly to first-year students at this Midwestern college, will undergo some $20 million in improvements over the next two years, according to the university.

Architecture firm Solomon Cordwell Buenz has designed the new look and feel for the ResCo, which will be realized by general contractor Turner Construction. Eighteen rooms were remodeled earlier as a test case, and commencing this summer, the remainder of the building’s rooms will be upgraded to match that schematic. The residence hall’s dining commons will also be renovated during the summer of 2023.

Re-envisioning the interior entails a new palette of muted colors and midcentury modern furniture. On the exterior, new patios will be designed as natural gathering spaces so that students can converse as well as dine in the outdoors in the warmer months.

In a recent news release from the university, Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Frank E. Ross said that the renovation will allow for a modern vision of student life at Butler.

“Just as we are committed to providing our students with top-tier academics at Butler, we aim to create an excellent out-of-class experience for them,” Ross said, “and that includes our residential communities that are home for many Butler students.”

Butler University is home to 4,500 undergraduates and 1,000 graduate students. U.S. News & World Report has ranked the school as the top regional university in the Midwest, and The Princeton Review includes Butler on its list of “best colleges.”