College Misericordia, a small liberal arts college located in Northeastern Pennsylvania, had recently experienced a strong surge in new student matriculations. Additional beds were required on campus with no near-term plans for new dormitory construction.

A plan was developed to convert the existing lower level public areas of the exiting McHale Hall into 16 additional residence rooms.

The building was configured as a four-story residence hall elevated on ‘pilotis,’ or columns; the narrow ground floor rooms were demolished and replaced with a wider arrangement of student accommodations which are articulated in a glass curtainwall appears to ‘hang’ from the structure above.