HOUSTON— New student housing development, Cougar Village II, delivered on the University of Houston main campus. The 1,100-bed freshman housing project, designed by KSQ Architects, was completed with a strict budget at a cost of under $45,000 per student bed.

The project also features Student Housing & Residential Life main offices, classroom spaces, faculty-in-residence apartments and will house the university's Freshman Year Residential Experience program.  Austin Commercial of Houston was the contractor on the design-build project.

"This project creates a strong identity for the university's southern edge and ties in seamlessly with Cougar Village I, the first phase of freshman housing on this site," said Sean Studzinski, principal with KSQ. "We're especially proud of how well the design turned out–both inside and out–on a tight budget."

Last year the University of Houston announced plans to improve the student experience on campus specifically with dining and student housing. The university rolled out a service called RoomSync through Facebook to facilitate the search for roommates. Student Housing and Residential Services also introduced 11 academic-themed communities that allow students to live in proximity to one another based on academic interests.