UHV residence hall recognized for outstanding design
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| Jaguar Suites, UHV’s newest residence hall, was completed in fall 2013 and recently won recognition for its design. The residence hall features apartment-style accommodations for students including kitchenettes, living spaces, private bedrooms, a fitness center and more. |
The University of Houston-Victoria’s newest residence hall is getting some attention for its design in a national publication.
American School & University, a magazine published out of Naples, Fla., included Jaguar Suites in its November 2014 Architectural Portfolio issue. The magazine gave the dorm a nod for outstanding design and included a full-page profile of the building.
“Jaguar Suites was the first residence hall that UHV built from the ground up,” UHV Interim President Vic Morgan said. “It is gratifying to see UHV’s commitment to offering our students quality living conditions be acknowledged. This is yet another clear indication of UHV’s dedication to serving and caring for our students.”
The project was a design-build project, said Brenda Svetlik, UHV director of capital projects. Through the bid process, the university chose the team of Smith and Company Architects Inc. and Vaughn Construction. UHV paid $9 million for the construction out of a total budget of $11.5 million for the project.
The building design was selected from a variety of options presented to UHV. The finished Jaguar Suites is 82,000 square feet and has a capacity of more than 250 residents in apartment-style suites.
“I think it turned out very nice,” Svetlik said. “It’s a statement piece for UHV housing.”
Jaguar Suites was completed in fall 2013, and students moved into the building that August, said Brandon Lee, director of Residence Life and University Commons. The opening process went well, and students were pleased with the variety of amenities available.
“I think it’s a great place for students to live,” Lee said. “It gives students an opportunity for privacy along with interaction with their roommates in a common living room setting. Students also have a variety of amenities, easy access to the Living and Learning Community, fitness center, study rooms and more. It’s really great to have this all in one location. It’s a really neat residence hall.”
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
