The University of Houston Cougar Village II dormitory is the second phase of a similar adjacent project. For this seven-story building project, BRAVE/architecture teamed with Tulsa-based KSQ Architects. The first floor is programmed with student lounge spaces, university classrooms, and the relocated offices for the university’s residential life department. Two faculty apartments are also located on the first floor. The dormitory houses 1‚100 students on six additional floors with three student lounges and adjacent kitchens found on each. The corridors end on smaller lounges for study groups. At night, these lounges become large light boxes highlighting the building and connecting it visually to Phase I.
Using the surrounding university context for site planning, the layout of the building sits next to Phase I creating three separate and characteristically different exterior courtyards. A portion of the first floor also remains exposed to the exterior while the floors above create a covered gathering space reminiscent of Le Corbusier’s Swiss Pavilion. The façade’s materials were selected based on the campus’ palette.