FAMU will save $20M on the estimated cost of the new Polkinghorne Village by adding two floors to the apartment complex, making it a six story building. The total price should be approximately $43M, down from the original budgeted figure of $63M. The two additional stories will shave costs by reducing the total number of buildings in the complex. That will generate even more savings by opening space to place the required storm water runoff controls on the property’s surface, as opposed to the more expensive option of using an underground system.
Polkinghorne, which has been closed since 2004, sits next to the Student Services Center and Bragg Memorial Stadium.
From DAG Architects:
The facility is intended to create a new campus gateway and promote positive patterns for future campus development. Based on a mixed use model, the design includes approximately 800 beds, several community rooms on each floor, and provides university use spaces at ground level.
Besides the spaces contained within the buildings, the buildings themselves shape a series of courtyard spaces culminating in a central plaza envisioned to become a hub of campus activities. These exterior spaces coupled with a large green space behind the dormitory provide great opportunities for student interaction and campus events.