Ornelas Student Housing is a 462-bed residential community that supports TJC’s commitment to student success and campus identity. Designed to serve honors students, student-athletes, and the world-famous Apache Belles, the project creates a residential environment that promotes academic focus, community engagement, and a strong sense of belonging.

Student-centered amenities are integral to the design, with generous commons spaces that encourage collaboration and social interaction. Indoor amenities include study and collaboration areas, gaming and media lounges, a multipurpose room, C-Store, catering kitchen, and decentralized laundry rooms on each floor. Outdoor spaces extend student life into the landscape with creek-side study verandas, picnic areas, and recreational amenities that balance activity and retreat.

Architecturally, the project responds to a challenging, flood-prone site bisected by an active creek. Rather than diverting the waterway, the design celebrates it as a central organizing element, dividing the complex into two four-story Georgian-inspired residential towers connected by long-span pedestrian bridges. Traditional materials—red brick, cast stone accents, limestone columns, and concrete construction—align the buildings with TJC’s established campus character while framing the natural landscape as a defining feature of the student experience.