North Campus Residential District

At 1.18 million sf, the North Residential District Transformation reshaped Ohio State University’s north campus housing community into a vibrant neighborhood for more than 6,000 students. The project combined renovation of existing student housing with new residence halls, dining facilities, and recreation amenities to create a cohesive student life environment.

Guided by the University’s One University Framework plan, the two-year live-in experience policy, and Student Life’s STEP program, the design emphasized both urban design principles and campus-based residential life best practices. Dense site planning, active ground floors, and integrated amenities were used to strengthen the sense of community.

Acock Associates played a critical role in the early planning process, developing formal criteria documents to solicit design-build proposals and providing schematic design for every building’s exterior elevations. The team also crafted a Community Building Block Plan, which shaped the eventual site design and ensured the project’s alignment with university goals.