University-Based Retirement Communities (UBRCs) are redefining what it means to age well by bringing together students, faculty, and older adults in vibrant, intergenerational settings centered on learning, wellness, and purpose. Projects like Mirabella at Arizona State University (ASU) have already proven how powerful this model can be, where residents live steps from classrooms, share campus amenities, and engage in daily university life.
Mirabella at ASU
At Ankrom Moisan, we see UBRCs as the next frontier of integrated design – where the combined expertise of our Senior Living, Healthcare, Workplace, and Housing/Higher Education studios creates holistic campuses that serve people at every stage of life. Building on what we learned through Mirabella ASU and across our four studios, we are exploring how to take this model even further: adding new layers of wellness, education, childcare, and housing that foster deeper connection and shared purpose across generations.
Each studio brings distinct strengths from healthcare planning and senior living design to student housing typologies, workplace wellness, and early learning environments. Together, we’re shaping campus models that function as micro-ecosystems for every age, where learning, living, and well-being are seamlessly intertwined.
A Paradigm Shift in Campus Living: Mirabella at ASU
Mirabella at ASU represents a true paradigm shift in how we think about aging and community. Rather than creating an isolated retirement tower, it established a vibrant, intergenerational environment at the heart of Arizona State University’s campus, where older adults, students, and faculty live, learn, and engage side by side.
This project redefined what a university-based retirement community can be. Residents aren’t separated from the energy of campus life; they’re part of it by attending classes, mentoring students, and sharing dining, wellness, and cultural amenities with the broader ASU community.
Mirabella ASU’s grab-and-go café
The next evolution builds on that foundation, imagining complete, integrated campuses that bring together fitness and wellness centers, childcare, healthcare access, dining, cowering, and shared gathering spaces in places that connect students, faculty, staff, and seniors in meaningful, everyday ways.
Mirabella ASU proved that aging in place doesn’t have to mean aging apart. It’s the model for a new kind of campus living as one build on connection, purpose, and belonging.
Bridging Generations Through Design: The Student Housing Perspective
Student housing design has always been about creating communities filled with connection, engagement, and belonging that help young adults learn, live, and grow together. Those same principles can seamlessly bridge generations when applied to UBRCs.
Imagine a twin-tower development, such as The Standard at Seattle, where one tower houses university students and the other is home to active seniors. The two are connected by a shared podium filled with vibrant, mixed-use amenities: cafés, fitness studios, classrooms, art and maker spaces, and co-working lounges. Each of those spaces would be designed for learning and social interaction. Shared outdoor terraces, dining areas, and recreation zones encourage spontaneous connection, creating a campus environment where age becomes secondary to curiosity and engagement.
The Standard at Seattle High-Rises
In this model, the building itself becomes the connector, blending academic residential, and social functions into one cohesive experience. Students gain mentorship, shared resources, and intergenerational friendships; seniors benefit from access to lifelong learning, energy, and inclusion.
The 818, another student housing project currently under construction in Tucson, Arizona, is a similar asset for students at the University of Arizona. It has a mixed program of student and workforce housing that share the same amenities—courtyards, co-working lounges, fitness spaces, and community rooms; all designed to bring people together. Even though The 818 isn’t a UBRC, it carries the same spirit: people from different walks of life living side by side, connected through shared spaces that encourage learning, curiosity, and community.
By drawing on existing student-housing typologies, such as flexible study lounges, collaboration zones, and integrated wellness amenities, the next generation of UBRC campuses can redefine what community looks like – vibrant, multigenerational environments that foster purpose, learning, and well-being for every resident.
Designing for Daily Life: The Workplace Perspective on UBRCs
A thriving campus community depends on the well-being of the people who live, work, and care within it. Our Office / Retail / Community Studio brings that understanding to every project in designing spaces that strengthen connection, balance, and retention for both employees and residents.
At the Daimler Truck North America Headquarters, our team designed an on-site daycare that became a cornerstone of the company’s employee experience. Providing childcare wasn’t just about convenience; it was about supporting people holistically and recognizing that when employees can see their kids during the day, they’re happier, more focused, and more likely to stay long-term.
The expanded daycare at Daimler Truck’s North American Headquarters
That same principle applies to university-based retirement communities (UBRCs) by integrating everyday amenities such as early learning centers, flexible workspaces, wellness studios, and community cafés. UBRCs can become places where generations intersect naturally by imagining a campus where a retired educator volunteers in the daycare, or where staff and residents share a morning fitness class or a coffee at the café. Those moments of overlap make the community stronger and more human.
Designing for intergenerational interaction is the next evolution of campus planning by taking lessons from workplace design such as transparency, flexibility, wellness, and access to services. When those lessons are applied to UBRCs, they can create environments that support everyone’s quality of life, from residents to caregivers to employees.
Integrating Health and Housing: The Healthcare Perspective for UBRCs
At the Central City Concern (CCC) Blackburn Center, we brought together healthcare, housing, and recovery services under one roof by creating a model where people can live, heal, and grow in an integrated setting. It’s a project that embodies the power of trauma-informed and human-centric design, connecting dignity, safety, and holistic well-being in every detail.
CCC Blackburn Center
In behavioral health and wellness design, connection and collaboration are everything for not only the people who use the space, but also for the many stakeholders who help shape it. For Blackburn Center, our studio worked closely with an extraordinary range of partners: clinicians, case managers, housing operators, state licensing agencies, and funders. Together, we developed a program that met people where they are, responding to the real needs of those navigating recovery, housing instability, and health challenges.
The Blackburn Center was a complex puzzle, combining a federally qualified health clinic, substance use recovery programs, short-term housing, long-term studios, and supportive services within one facility. Each group had distinct needs and operational priorities, and our challenge was to weave them together while maintaining safety, dignity, and belonging.
Our design focused on supporting different levels of care and wellness through shared amenities: community kitchens, large resource area with teaching kitchen, yoga spaces, clinic, urgent care, pharmacy, gathering spaces, and multiple outdoor terraces. These spaces foster connection rather than separation. Keeping these populations together was intentional – it reduces stigma and reinforces that healing happens through community.
For future UBRCs, that same principle applies. Integrating healthcare and housing on one site ensures residents have access to care before a crisis occurs, while promoting engagement and wellness across generations. At the Blackburn Center, we learned health, housing, and community are inseparable and that the model of integrated care and shared amenity spaces where they intersect can translate beautifully to UBRCs where physical and emotional well-being are equally prioritized.
What makes the next generation of university-based retirement communities so exciting is the opportunity to merge expertise across markets – to think beyond traditional senior living and design campuses that truly serve the full spectrum of life.
The Integrated Future of UBRCs
At Ankrom Moisan, our Senior Living, Workplace, Healthcare, and Housing/Higher Education studios each bring a unique perspective, but together they share one common goal: to design communities that foster connection, purpose, and well-being. From hospitality-inspired living and intergenerational engagement to on-site healthcare, early learning, and student-driven social spaces, these campuses can be vibrant ecosystems where people of all ages live, learn, and thrive together.
Our experience designing projects like Mirabella at ASU, Daimler Daycare, CCC Blackburn Center, and The Standard at Seattle has shown us that successful communities don’t just meet people’s needs; they evolve with them. The future of UBRCs lies in integration – blending living, learning, working, and wellness into places that feel human, connected, and alive.
As we look ahead, our vision is clear: to help universities and their partners design campuses that blur generational boundaries, celebrate lifelong learning, and embody the next chapter in community design where every space supports growth, belonging, and the shared experience of living well at every age.
Bridging the Belonging Gap
As student populations grow and on-campus housing remains limited, off-campus housing has become a critical part of the higher education experience. According to Propmodo, the demand for student housing greatly exceeds supply at many universities, making the asset class an unlikely real estate kingmaker over the past two decades. But this growing reliance has brought on new challenges.
While the first-year dorm experience is often rich in social interaction and university programming, the transition off campus can come with a steep decline in connection, support, and engagement. A column in The Daily Gamecock, the University of South Carolina’s student newspaper, put it plainly: “Off-campus housing can be isolating.” When students move off campus, they risk losing the daily rhythms and casual relationships that make college life feel cohesive. This raises a fundamental question for developers and designers alike: How can we ensure off-campus housing supports, not undermines, a student’s experience and well-being?
Putting Connection First in Off-Campus Housing Design
The best off-campus housing doesn’t just provide a place to live, it creates the conditions for connection. At VERVE West Lafayette, developed by Subtext near Purdue University, that philosophy takes center stage. Every detail of the building reflects Subtext’s broader “Unlonely Mission,” a commitment visible across other recent developments in Bloomington, Boise, and Columbus. All elements of the project are shaped by a singular mission: to unlonely student life. This shows up not just in the operations, but in the physical spaces themselves.
Verve West Lafayette
From the moment residents arrive, they’re greeted by a friendly team member at a vibrant leasing bar that doubles as a coffee spot by day and transforms into a social lounge by night. Upstairs, amenities include wellness-forward features like a yoga studio, sauna, and meditation spaces that prioritize mental health without feeling clinical. A bold design move, like a swirling slide connecting two floors, adds a touch of playfulness and sparks spontaneous interaction among residents.
There’s also an intentional balance between private and public. Study pods provide a quiet retreat, while common areas offer room for collaboration and friendship. Local design cues, from materials to murals, tie the space to the community to help students feel rooted in both place and purpose. And with a walkable location just minutes from Purdue’s campus, VERVE keeps students close to the heart of university life, even when they live beyond its footprint.
Design Strategies to Build Belonging Off-Campus
Creating a sense of belonging is essential for student success and well-being, especially in off-campus housing where students can feel socially and physically disconnected. Design plays a pivotal role in bridging this gap by encouraging interaction and fostering inclusive communities. Layered communal spaces like study lounges, community kitchens, maker spaces, fitness areas, and rooftop terraces support both structured and sporadic engagement. Semi-private “threshold” areas, such as shared entryways, floor lounges, or front porches, can facilitate passive interactions and foster the formation of micro-communities.
Verve Bloomington
Attention to scale and proximity is also essential. Breaking down large buildings into smaller “neighborhoods,” for instance, clusters of units sharing a lounge or “pods” with common amenities, helps cultivate a more intimate residential experience. Circulation spaces should be designed to encourage visibility and activity through features like open stairwells, transparent walls, and generous natural light.
Additionally, inclusion must be embedded from the start. Universal design features, like all-gender restrooms, multi-faith meditation rooms, and accessible layouts, signal that every student is welcome. But belonging also comes from the process. Early engagement through participatory design workshops, such as collaborative charrettes that use storyboarding, spatial mapping, or card-sorting exercises, can reveal latent needs and values.
Beyond the initial phases, ongoing feedback loops, through student advisory panels or milestone surveys, ensure that evolving expectations are acknowledged. Post-occupancy evaluations offer valuable insight into what worked, what didn’t, and what students wish had been included, providing direction for future projects. Partnerships with Student Affairs can surface less-visible insights, especially for underrepresented grounds, and collaborating with departments such as housing, DEI offices, or cultural centers helps ensure the design reflects the full spectrum of student experiences.
Verve Boise
The building’s location and its access to campus and neighborhood matter just as much. Well-lit walking paths, secure bike infrastructure, and proximity to transit support easy movement, while ground-floor retail or community-facing programming can integrate student housing into the fabric of the neighborhood. Visual and programmatic links to campus, views of landmarks, spaces for student orgs, and campus-branded graphics reinforce psychological connectivity. Ultimately, off-campus housing that offers informal third spaces, integrates wellness through design, and supports events like shared meals or club meetings becomes more than a place to live – it becomes a platform for unity, identity, and student growth.
A Call to Align
For the growing number of students living off campus, the line between inclusion and isolation often comes down to how their housing is designed. Developers, designers, and campus leaders must work together to meet students where they are, both physically, socially, and emotionally.
Off-campus doesn’t have to mean disconnected. In fact, with intentional design, it can be a powerful extension of campus life. By aligning priorities and centering connection, we can ensure that student housing continues to support, not interrupt, a student’s college journey.
Get to Know Our Student Housing Team
Our Higher Education designers share why they’re excited about the future of student housing – from rising global demand to an increasing desire for sustainable design – and what they enjoy most about their work.
Ankrom Moisan’s Student Housing Team (From left to right, starting in the back row: Jason Jones, Jenna Mogstad, Matt Janssen. Front row: Cindy Schaumberg, Alex Kuzmin, Mackenzie Snyder, Zach Stofferahn, Sydney Ellison)
Jenna Mogstad
4 Years
Associate Interior Designer
What do you like best about designing student housing?
I love it because it’s FUN. Student housing is invigorating and creative, with really unique requirements and programs to consider. Designing spaces that inspire and cater to young adults and users that are in such a formative stage of their life is really rewarding.
What has excited you about future work in this sector?
I’m most excited about incorporating trauma-informed design principals into student housing and higher education projects. Creating safe and non-triggering spaces for users from every possible background is something I take very seriously. We need to ensure that this population can thrive and be successful, for the future of us all.
What interesting changes have you seen in this sector over the years?
Since I graduated college in 2017, I’ve seen a big shift in the level of amenities that are provided in student housing. Each new project seems to just get better and better in terms of the activities and spaces that students are offered – right in their homes. Bars, theaters, spas, fitness, you name it. There’s a whole new level of approachable luxury that didn’t exist even just a short time ago when I was a student. It’s really exciting to see!
Mackenzie Snyder
1 Year
Interior Designer
What do you like best about designing student housing?
There are endless possibilities to be creative through finishes (fun colors, patterns, textures, etc.) and functions of a space (feature stairs with integrated seating, rock climbing walls and fun fitness zones, variations in study areas, etc.).
What has excited you about future work in this sector?
I like that this sector will always give us the opportunity to help create environments that help young students feel comfortable in the process of moving away from home and going through formative new steps in their life. The fact that design can help make that transition smooth is something that will never change, even as other trends do.
Is there anything that makes you uniquely suited to working in this sector?
I’m the youngest on the team and therefore the most recently out of college. I think because of that I can bring a unique perspective. I’m close to the current generation of students and can see firsthand how they tend to interact in their college environments. That can be very useful.
Sydney Ellison, Jason Jones, Cindy Schaumberg, and Matt Janssen at a design charette.
Zach Stofferahn
3 Years
Job Captain
What do you like best about designing student housing?
Student housing has a much bigger focus on communal spaces than a typical multi-family project.
What has excited you about future work in this sector?
I have seen several student surveys indicating sustainability is important to students today. We are always looking for ways to incorporate sustainable features into our buildings, so it is exciting to work with a user group that shares that value. I am hopeful that as students continue to seek those features, our design solutions can become more and more bullish on sustainability.
What’s uniquely challenging about designing student housing?
Schedule is important on all projects, but in student housing even more so because it is so critical to align building completion with the academic calendar. Pushing the schedule is typically not an option.
Sydney Ellison
6 Years
Interior Designer
What do you like best about designing student housing?
Getting to be very playful with our designs.
What has excited you about future work in this sector?
I’m excited by the increasing focus on mental health and wellness being integrated into off-campus housing.
What inspires you?
Our higher-ed team is inspiring; we have a great dynamic and collaborative environment.
Alex Kuzmin
3 Years
Technical Designer, Project Architect
What do you like best about designing student housing?
There are unique opportunities to be creative that don’t present themselves in other market sectors. I enjoy striking that delicate balance with budget and client expectations.
What has excited you about future work in this sector?
Rising global demand. With a projected 594 million higher education students by 2040, our studio is uniquely positioned to capitalize in this market sector with our experience and specialized knowledge base.
What’s uniquely challenging about designing student housing?
Designing student housing is uniquely challenging because you need to strike a balance when considering functional, flexible spaces with the design of an engaging, communal environment that supports both academic and social development.
Want to get to know the Higher Education Studio leaders? Hear from Cindy Schaumburg and Jason Jones here. Hear from Matt Janssen and Alissa Brandt here.