September marks the beginning of a new school year and with it, students come in with a fresh point of view after their much needed holidays. It also provides an opportunity to present them with updated living facilities that will underpin their new step in their journey. August is then the time to remodel and give student housing facilities a deserved upgrade.

College Students’ Ever-Evolving Housing Needs

College students’ priorities include a care-free independence and a lifestyle that can be maintained without difficulties, and they want their living spaces to reflect it. In the last twenty years, there has been a dramatic change to the needs they have had due to technological advances, changing lifestyle expectations (a greater balance between studying and being social) and economic pressures.

In the early 2000s, students wanted luxury-like features such as resort style pools and fitness centers to keep up a fit life. However, Generation Z puts their attention on more functional amenities that serve a purpose for their daily lives一Wi-Fi, laundry and dishwashers sound more attractive to them rather than an in-house gym or a hot tub. And whereas student housing was originally conceived as dormitory living, today it is a space that students can really maximize to enhance their college experience.

Not only do renovations include technological advances, but the way of living is also undergoing changes that are reflected at floor plan level. Whereas community living used to be the norm in the dorm, today that means sharing certain spaces while looking for more privacy in others, for example. Apart from that, generation Z is known for demanding transparency and being sustainability-minded, making sustainability key for successful today’s student housing experience and commercial construction profitability.

Read more: Holiday Renovations: Student Housing Commercial Construction in Houston, TX

Turn Over a New Leaf After Summer

1. Expanded Privacy in Shared Bathrooms

Student housing bathroom upgrades have become a priority as traditional shared “gang-style” facilities no longer meet modern student expectations. Today’s students demand higher standards for privacy, inclusivity, and accessibility, prompting widespread renovations across campus housing. Universities are called to respond by creating all-gender restroom options alongside redesigned communal spaces that feature enhanced privacy measures, such as fully enclosed toilet compartments with floor-to-ceiling walls and gapless doors, replacing the outdated open stall designs that previously characterized dormitory bathrooms.

2. Adapting to the Modern Academic Lifestyle

With dorms being home away from home, they need to adapt to the students’ modern lifestyles. This means installing an enhanced internet connection and a more fitting computer environment. An upgrade on network cabling and adding new WiFi access points improves connectivity and network performance, which is key in today’s academic life.

3. Embracing Sustainability in Student Housing

Renovations allow universities to update their student housing facilities to strengthen their sustainability initiatives and reduce operating costs by reducing energy consumption.

A few ways in which this can be achieved are:

• Adding insulation.
• Updating window frames.
• Installing energy-efficient systems.
• Changing plumbing fixtures to better control water usage.
• Updating lighting fixtures to improve energy spending.

Planning and Executing Improvements in Student Housing Facilities

At Cline Commercial Construction, our team of architects, designers and project managers are trained to bring any building and renovation to life. With an unwavering commitment to excellence, we strive to honor both users and investors alike, never losing sight of the commercial construction industry and aspect of each student housing project.

Whether you are looking for guidance to build from the ground up or insight into renovating a facility, Cline Construction is there every step of the way, one brick at a time, to help our clients build lasting and successful residencies.