WHiP Architecture is currently the Architect of Record for the renovations to the Vie Towers Student Housing building located on Belcrest Road in Hyattsville, MD. Originally built in 2006 as University Towers, Vie Development purchased the 15-story property earlier this year to renovate and rebrand the facility which currently provides residential accommodations for students at Howard University, Catholic University and University of Maryland College Park.
Vie Development has invested in programming, designing, and renovating this collegiate residential facility by creating innovative flexible common spaces - informal learning settings, such as nontraditional residence hall classrooms and spaces for students to collaborate on projects. To help foster a more vibrant facility and boost goodwill with the surrounding community, Vie Management will eventually include its Grand Bahama restaurant brand as a space for student residents, but also open to non-university patrons.
In the current Phase 1, the overall objective is to renovate the approximately 11,000 square-foot existing First Floor level of the multi-story student housing building, to create the following spaces: Reception Area, Study Room, Gym, Group Fitness Center and Gym Office. Also, there will be an interior build-out of a Café and a new Mezzanine in the existing Lounge.
The renovated facility will include a ground-level Study Room that can be used for informal seminars, student project collaboration, or other learning formats that don’t hold to the conventional lecture style.