Tyler Junior College | Ornelas Residence Hall

Construction Cost : $28.5M | SF : 152,193 The site selected for the Ornelas Residence Hall was a flood-prone overgrown site bisected by an active creek. The College had planned on replacing the creek with an underground concrete box culvert and constructing a 3-story residence hall over the top of it. RSA suggested a more eco-centric sustainable approach. Instead of encapsulating the storm water underground, RSA proposed enhancing the creek into a natural water feature framed by two four-story Georgian Residence Life Towers connected by clearspan bridges allowing students to experience the creek while preserving the ecosystem below. The formal Georgian residential towers act as a foil to the creek below as it meanders in and away from the outdoor study verandas that mediate between the two forces. The Ornelas Residential complex consists of 462 beds with private baths and significant Commons Areas. Indoor amenities include Billiards and Gaming Areas, TV Lounge, Study Areas, a media rich Collaboration Room, Cyber Lounge, Computer Room, 150-person Multi-purpose Room, Catering Kitchen, C-Store, Residence Life Offices and decentralized Laundry Rooms on each floor. Outdoor amenities include creek-side Study Verandas, Picnic Areas and a Sand Volleyball Court. Institutional construction consisted of load bearing CMU with steel frame, concrete hollow core plank floors, red brick, cast stone accents and four story tall limestone columns. RSA’s scope of work included a new 6,100 SF Satellite Physical Plant and Campus Utilities Loop supplying the east side of campus.