±«Óãtv Housing Strategy
±«Óãtv University is planning a new residence to meet growing student housing needs.
The chosen site for the new residence, an L-shaped piece of land bordering Henry and Seymour Streets, provides a central on-campus location close to University Avenue. The six-storey facility, expected to open in 2027, will accommodate approximately 200 students and be located behind the ±«Óãtv Arts Centre in the heart of Studley Campus.
Dal’s Board of Governors approved proceeding with the detailed design of a new residence at a meeting in late August. A request for proposal was released Monday, September 9, inviting teams of architecture and building firms to bid on project design and construction.
Read more in this ±«Óãtv News story.
Background
Nova Scotia has added nearly 111,000 new residents since 2015, bringing our population to over a million. That number is expected to double by 2060.
More than 47,000 students currently attend Nova Scotia’s post-secondary institutions. That’s up 3,600 from 2015 – with the majority coming from outside our Nova Scotia. Universities are instrumental in the province’s growth strategy. ±«Óãtv and other universities play an essential role in Nova Scotia’s aspiration to forge a vibrant future for those who currently call this place home and those we will welcome, who will enrich our campuses, our municipalities, and our province with their unique perspectives and diverse experiences. Â
But the shortage of housing, including affordable housing, threatens these goals and poses immense challenges for many in our community. ±«Óãtv must do its part to help solve this issue. Planning work to build more student housing for ±«Óãtv is underway.
On-Campus Research
In fall 2023, ±«Óãtv held consultations involving a combination of a survey, focus groups, and dotmocracy, aimed at soliciting valuable insights and preferences from students regarding the design and features of new residence buildings at ±«Óãtv. Over 2,000 students were consulted as part of this process. The primary focus centered around student preferences regarding residential accommodation types and associated amenities. The focus groups delved into nuanced aspects of residential environments, addressing considerations such as safety, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA), technological provisions, and sustainability.
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