‘An entirely different approach to a residence hall’: WMU celebrates opening of Valley Oaks
WMU leaders join incoming first-year students for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony at Valley Oaks residence hall.
Incoming students collected pieces of the ribbon as keepsakes.
President Russ Kavalhuna talks to two incoming students excited to check out Valley Oaks residence hall.
Dr. Diane Anderson, vice president for student affairs, and WMU President Russ Kavalhuna listen to remarks during the opening celebration.
Visitors stream in to get a first look at Valley Oaks.
A double room in Valley Oaks.
Alex Guerra and Owen Rishmawi, incoming students from Flushing, Michigan, check out their new digs.
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—New, state-of-the-art housing is ready for students at Western Michigan University. Valley Oaks, the University’s newest residence hall, was officially unveiled to the public during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday, July 29.
“We really tried to think of everything to meet students where they are, foster belonging and help them thrive here at Western, and the result is even better than I could have imagined,” says Dr. Diane Anderson, vice president for student affairs. “I can’t wait for our students and families to see it.”
At 274,000 square feet, four-story Valley Oaks is the largest mass timber project in the state of Michigan. The facility incorporates elevated aesthetics and biophilic design to integrate the natural wooded landscape of the surrounding Goldsworth Valley with students’ living spaces inside the building.
“This project is an entirely different approach to a residence hall at Western; it’s really a game changer for us,” says Dr. Barry Olson, associate vice president for student affairs. “When you walk in, the first thing you notice is the smell of wood. You see all these beautiful columns and exposed timber and large windows that let in natural light; it just feels very much like you’re bringing the outside in. There’s a really grounding and calming presence."
“Mass timber also offers students an opportunity to live in housing that supports sustainability and environmental stewardship,” adds Janice Quakenbush, director of finance and infrastructure for student affairs, noting the sustainable materials make Valley Oaks’ carbon footprint significantly smaller than a traditional steel and concrete residential build’s.
Designed with connection, well-being in mind
Valley Oaks is located on the former site of Harrison/Stinson and Eldridge/Fox halls, known as Valley III, behind the Valley Dining Center. It is the latest development in the University’s ongoing efforts to elevate the campus experience and modernize housing to meet the needs of a new generation of students.
The hall will be home to approximately 1,000 first-year students, offering pod-style housing that includes single, expanded single and double room options and single-occupancy bathrooms. Outside of residential wings, the facility offers a multitude of opportunities for students to live, learn, relax and play.
“The WMU housing and dining master plan focuses on differentiating our housing both from other universities and also from other housing complexes on our own campus,” says Quakenbush. “Valley Oaks is unique because of the very layered and abundant shared amenity spaces for residents outside of their rooms.”
Community and student input throughout the process helped shape the building’s unique architecture and offerings.
“Students told us they wanted spaces that allowed them to connect and build community, so we made that a priority,” says Roshona Porter, director of housing and residence life. “Valley Oaks is intentionally designed with multiple lounges and collaboration spaces that offer open, inviting areas for students to come together.”
Key features of the new residence hall include:
- Kitchenettes on each floor and a larger community kitchen on the main floor to accommodate group gatherings and programming.
- Laundry rooms with multiple machines available on each floor.
- In-room air conditioning units that give students control of the climate in their living environment.
- A collaboration hub where students can gather for group study, class projects or programming.
- A well-being studio with a massage chair and other wellness-focused amenities for students to enjoy.
- A second-floor outdoor deck where students can retreat and relax and a fire pit out front where students can gather.
- Multiple privacy booths throughout the building that give students a private space for phone calls, telehealth appointments and more.
- Two distinctly designed courtyards—one quieter and serene, equipped with hammocking poles, and the other more open and vibrant with seating and a lawn for yard games.
Accessibility was also top of mind in creating this new housing experience.
“We worked very closely with our partners to make sure that we would have fully accessible routes and spaces so that every student can feel welcome and comfortable and is living in a space that’s been universally designed,” says Olson.
Ready for residents
The hall’s first residents will move in at the end of August. Quakenbush can’t wait to see the reactions when students and their families see Valley Oaks for the first time.
“I hope their responses reflect excitement and pride,” she says. “Families should feel reassured and confident that their student is entering a safe space that promotes belonging so their students can focus on their academic success and well-being.”
Above all, Porter hopes students feel at home from the day they move onto campus.
“Valley Oaks is a physical embodiment of the Office of Housing and Residence Life’s values in action: spaces that support student well-being, spark relationships, reflect our commitment to equity and support student growth for years to come,” she says. “It’s a model for how we want to continue designing residential life at WMU: intentionally, collaboratively and with our values built into every corner of the space.”
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