James Madison University Paul Jennings Residence Hall

Paul Jennings Residence Hall adds activity and life to a growing section of East Campus through important landscape connections and ample interior public space for student life.

Client: James Madison University
Location: Harrisonburg, VA
Scope: New Construction
Size: 151,000 SF
Performance: EUI 55 kBTU/sf/year (modeled) | 27%reduction (LEED ASHRAE 90.1-2010 Appendix G baseline)

A destination for first- and second-year students, the newest residence hall at James Madison University adds activity and life to a growing section of East Campus. Jennings Residence Hall establishes important connections with the nearby University Recreation building and East Campus Dining Hall – tying together East Campus through a cohesive architectural language, improved views and landscape connections, and enhanced accessibility through a new land bridge.

By pulling vibrant social and academic spaces into its residential setting, Jennings Hall gives students the flexibility to live, learn, gather, and play in one highly connected environment. Currently home to the Sports and Recreation Management Residential Learning Community, Jennings Hall’s diverse interior public space is complemented by an active landscape of accessible courtyards, recreation fields, and outdoor rooms that support a wide range of activities for all abilities. The building and landscape work together to create a place where students want to be year-round.

A key feature of Jennings Hall is its centrally-located Common House which provides a public platform for cultivating an engaged academic community. The 2,500 square foot space is easily reconfigurable for different functions – from everyday informal gathering by residents to larger-scale lectures, campus-wide forums, and student organizational meetings. Extending from the Common House into the lobby is an exhibit dedicated to the building’s namesake – Paul Jennings. Born into slavery at Montpelier, Jennings served as James Madison’s personal servant, overcoming significant adversities to leave a lasting legacy.

This was an incredibly important project for JMU as it not only began the development of a new area of campus, but also shed a new light on our university’s namesake. The design of the hall itself was based on our need for flexibility in how it might be used in the future. It works equally well for first year or continuing students, traditional gendered room assignments or inclusive communities, and the learning commons and classrooms will allow us to grow our residential learning communities on campus.

– Kevin Meaney, Former Director of Residence Life, James Madison University

The exhibit makes people think. It’s not just a sign that says Paul Jennings Hall. It’s a hall dedicated to Paul Jennings, but you also get to know who he is and what impact he had... I think it’s another stepping stone for the university to be that well-rounded place that we always try to be in.

– Maya Canaday, Student, James Madison University