Smith-Perkins House Renovation & Expansion

Dallas, Texas

Firm

EwingCole

Client

Southern Methodist University

Area

49,000 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$30,000,000

Completion Date

07/2023

Halkin/Mason Photography

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Smith Hall and Perkins Hall at Southern Methodist University are a pair of Georgian residence halls built in the 1940s that have been renovated as a part of a campuswide modernization. The project added a three-story connecting structure housing expanded residential amenities and providing universal accessibility to the buildings, which previously could be entered only by stairs. The roadway and parking that once split the site have been replaced with two courtyards, a formal landscape that serves as the primary entrance for students, and a brick patio that creates a meeting space enclosed by a low brick wall separating it from the busy street. Studies of the existing buildings resulted in selection of materials and fenestration sympathetic to the existing structures while creating larger windows and double-height spaces that add a scale not previously available. The addition of lounges, kitchen and meeting spaces, with a fireplace and overlooks, fosters a new sense of community among residents.