Texas A&M University, University Apartments Community Center

College Station, Texas

Firm

Huitt-Zollars, Inc.

Client

Texas A&M University System

Area

17,800 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$1,985,000

Completion Date

10/2001

After World War II, surplus Quonset Huts were available for colleges and universities to use as offices and maintenance facilities. Texas A&M used these temporary buildings to house the influx of students after the war. In 1947, most of the structures were torn down to make room for apartment buildings. The remaining Quonset Huts were used to house property-management offices and maintenance facilities.
Most of the apartment’s tenants are international students representing more than 50 different countries. The university determined that the facilities were inadequate to meet the needs of students with so many diverse backgrounds.
The new community center provides an opportunity for students from different cultures and religious backgrounds to have a place to interact. It provides a place for recreation and early-childhood education for children. A large kitchen makes it easy to prepare international and American cuisine, which is shared among visitors to the center. A full-service laundry is adjacent to a multipurpose room that provides accessibility to the university’s computer network.