When Residence Hall #3 was conceived, providing an outstanding living experience was integral to the design and planning process. Our ideas were transformed during the process of naming the hall, honoring Carlos Montezuma, whose given name is Wassaja.
The Facility
Wassaja Hall is the third new residence hall constructed in the Ikenberry Commons neighborhood and it is located in the north section. The first residents will arrive in August 2016.
Wassaja Hall offers spacious air-conditioned double rooms clustered into small communities (pods) with private individual-use bathrooms. There are individual-use, gender-inclusive bathrooms throughout the building. The furniture and finishes reflect sustainable practices and were chosen based on significant student feedback. Residents have access to lounges, common laundry room and kitchen, business center, multipurpose rooms, Skype room, and in-room wireless connectivity. Wassaja was built to LEED Gold certification standards and was completed ahead of schedule and under budget. Architectural and construction partners included Mackey-Mitchell Architects, FGM Architects and Turner Construction.
The Path Home - The artistic presence
As part of the State of Illinois’ Art-in-Architecture program, Wassaja Hall will feature a public art installation that reflects and celebrates the legacy of the hall's namesake. Illinois artist Lynn Basa was selected to create the work, which she has titled "The Path Home." Below are some of the artist’s statements.
Wassaja’s life path was challenging and unconventional, yet he navigated it with intelligence and a moral compass that led him to the University of Illinois and then back full circle to his native land. The title of this artwork, “The Path Home”, refers to Wassaja’s incredible personal journey and to the home-away-from-home that Wassaja Hall will offer to generations of Illinois students a century after Wassaja himself walked the campus.
Baskets made of weathered steel will be internally lit at night to act as beacons leading to the entrance of the residence hall. The pattern cut into the steel has been deliberately kept simple as a way of respecting that the symbols found on Yavapai artwork belong only to them.
The baskets grow larger the closer one gets to the residence hall, representing the strength Wassaja gained along the path of his life. The path functions symbolically and as a composition that can be seen from the windows of the residence hall rooms.
