On August 28, 348 students at SUNY Oswego will move in to brand-new on-campus townhouses. “The Village,” as it is called, is comprised of 68 townhouses arranged to foster a sense of community between their residents.

“We wanted to define two pedestrian ‘Main Street’ spaces with a central common lawn,” says Ashley McGraw Architects’ Project Manager Gregory Dembs. “There’s also the Great Lounge, a lodge-style common area, with a café and a recreation area. It has a fantastic view of the Glimmerglass Lagoon and the academic quads.”

One of the college’s goals in creating The Village was to entice more upper-class students to stay on campus rather than move to off-campus housing. Administrators note that they received over 500 applications for The Village’s 348 beds.

Those students who were selected to inhabit the townhouses were given the opportunity to tour their new homes during construction this summer. Prior to the August 28 move-in date, they will also attend two educational sessions informing them of The Village’s sustainability features, and showing them ways to help maintain their community’s energy efficiency. The Village is expected to receive a Gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Homes program.