Colorado State University’s Housing & Dining Services is leaning on its values of fiscal and environmental stewardship to reinvest in the university’s existing residential facilities, prioritizing renovations over new construction. Allison and Durward Halls are the next to receive upgrades, with Durward’s beginning this summer. Through preplanning, there is no anticipated decrease in available bed space for students.
“Our values, combined with the current state of higher education, have led our decisions to reinvest in our current facilities long term,” said Mari Strombom, executive director for Housing & Dining Services. This vision follows several studies reviewed and completed by HDS.
“We have incredibly innovative staff and external partners who are committed to ensuring renovations, large and small, continue to meet students where they are and support their success here at CSU.”
Durward Hall
One of two, 12-story residence halls on the northwest corner of main campus, Durward Hall is next on deck for enhancements beginning this August. Durward’s upgrades will mirror those that occurred at Westfall Hall in 2022-23, this time with design-build team Swinerton (construction) and Gensler (architecture, design and planning), who were awarded the project this March.
The project covers resident rooms, corridors and lounge spaces on floors 2–12, to include select mechanical and plumbing upgrades, new windows, window coverings, flooring, LED light fixtures, furniture and paint. Much like Westfall, these improvements intend to honor, yet modernize, the 1960s-era building while also increasing efficiencies, such as utility savings from new windows.
Durward Hall will close at the end of July following summer conferences planned for the facility. It will remain offline for the 2024-25 academic year and summer, with anticipated completion and re-opening ahead of Fall 2025.
“Housing & Dining Services is continuously working to improve our living spaces for students and guests,” said Carolyn Bell, director of Housing & Dining Facilities. “This project will do just that – the new windows and other improvements will provide better insulation, while also enhancing the overall freshness of the building.”
Through a space audit conducted in 2022-23, more than 260 bed spaces have been added to existing facilities, accounting for both planned construction and increased enrollment. These added spaces will help accommodate the incoming 2024-25 class. Housing & Dining Services continues to closely monitor enrollment trends for 2024-25.
Allison Hall
In concert with the re-opening of Durward, Allison Hall will close for major renovations and additions. The project is expected to span Summer 2025 through Summer 2027.
Originally opened in 1958, Allison Hall is one of the oldest residence halls still in operation today. Boasting some of the most iconic mid-century features on campus, Housing & Dining Services plans to honor the building’s original charm while making it more functional for the modern-day student.
The Allison design-build team consists of Adolfson & Peterson (construction), Clark & Enersen (design firm) and Mackey Mitchell (architecture). Adolfson & Peterson and Clark & Enersen have completed several projects for CSU Fort Collins and CSU Spur, and Mackey Mitchell holds expertise in higher education housing and dining facilities.
While the project is still in its initial stages, Housing & Dining Services is focused on ensuring that Allison accommodates CSU’s growing enrollment by adding at least 200 bed spaces to the building. To accomplish this, the team is exploring possibilities, such as adding more wings and/or floors.
“Renovating Allison is an exciting opportunity to uphold our commitment to sustainability by preserving an existing structure and transforming it to meet the needs of our changing student body,” Bell said. “We have set a goal to achieve LEED Gold certification, and we are preventing waste by reusing existing materials, versus a new build that would primarily require everything to be new.”
Resident room renovations on the first, second and third floors will maintain their current community-style floorplans (double-occupancy rooms that share a floor-wide community bathroom). All common spaces will also receive upgrades, including expanded dining options, lounge and front desk renovations.
In addition, Housing & Dining Services, the College of Business and Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering are collaborating to explore the potential of developing a Center for Entrepreneurship in Allison.
“Housing & Dining Services has partnered with colleges in the past, and we look forward to the possibilities at Allison in the coming years,” said Strombom. “Allison’s location near both business and engineering classes, as well as its large and open center section, make it a great candidate for an academic partnership such as this.”
