Fairfax, Va. — George Mason University will break ground this month for a new $47.5 million student housing project on its Fairfax campus. The project, known as the Northwest Housing VIIIA complex, will consist of two buildings containing 609 beds. Approximately half of the units will be apartment-style residences with kitchens and the other half will be suite-style dorms. The new residence hall will primarily house upperclassmen, with junior and seniors given preference for the apartment-style units.

Additional landscaping work will be done at the outdoor quad created by the buildings. Pavers, terraced lawns and bench seating will be added. The project, which is being built by Balfour Beatty Construction and designed by Gensler, is applying for LEED-Silver certification.

Demand for student housing at George Mason has consistently grown, and the school has done its best to keep up. In the past 5 years alone, approximately 1,400 beds of student housing have been added. And more is on the way. The current construction pipeline consists of Northwest Housing VIIIA as well as the Hampton Roads, a 400-bed project scheduled for a July completion.

"For us, it's about wanting to get to the place where we are feeling like we are consistently meeting at least all of our undergraduate [housing] demand," says Jana Hurley, executive director of housing and residence life for George Mason.

— Coleman Wood