Keene State CollegeLiving and Learning Commons

Project Overview

The Living and Learning Commons is the home of Keene State College’s Living and Learning Communities (LLCs) for First-Year students.  This state-of-the-art 320-bed residential facility encompasses eleven different LLCs that are central to a “hub” which provides academic and social opportunities in an engaging and collaborative setting.

Ninety percent of the residential rooms are double occupancy and ten percent are single-bed occupancy.  The 85,000 sf community includes core common areas on the ground level such as a family style kitchen, lounge, café and game room.  There are three flexible classrooms on the ground floor as well, and various study areas throughout the building.  Resident Director and Faculty apartments, offices, a mechanical room and bike storage areas round out the living and learning commons.

Utilizing zero fossil fuels, the facility uses sustainable elements for heating and cooling with geothermal wells.  Energy savings are extended with special air and ground sourced, closed-looped heat pumps which allow residents individual room temperature control.

Despite an extremely tight schedule, students were able to move in on-time and Engelberth managed to save the college almost $5 million from the original budget.