I am joined today by our guest Arthi Krishnamoorthy and we discuss topics of the two new Residential Colleges that her team has designed at Princeton University, including strategies she implements to help make university buildings feel more like home for students that are coming from near and far. Additionally, we discuss the topics of how to integrate inside and outside to connect the colleges to the site and to the landscape, how to create designs that transform architectural spaces into homes for students and how she has addressed the impact of COVID-19 while building on-campus housing.

The Princeton residential colleges, which Arthi and her firm are currently designing, accommodate an additional 125 students per class along with new social spaces, a dining hall, and servery. The 485,000-square-foot project allows for an overlapping relationship between the indoors and outdoors by creating an “in-between space” that includes several passageways, courtyards and thresholds in the design. Arthi shares with us the specific tools and strategies she uses when building dormitory projects, such as this one.

If you are interested in learning more, we will share some of Deborah Berke Partner’s most complex projects that connect design-thinking to their missions. Join us today as we discuss Arthi’s journey from Southeast Asia to the cornfields of Urbana Champaign to West Philadelphia as well as how she brings to her designs to transform architectural spaces. 

About the Guest:

Arthi Krishnamoorthy has led several projects, including designing spaces for Princeton University and The Women’s Building, as a partner at the renowned architectural design firm Deborah Berke Partners, New York City. She has led some of the firm's most complex projects and has built a focus on work for mission-driven organizations — work for universities, cultural institutions, and non-profits — connecting design-thinking to their missions. Through this work, she has developed an expertise in helping groups forge a common purpose and in leading them to discoveries that can shape their evolution. Arthi is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and the University of Pennsylvania. 

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, or on your favorite podcast platform. 

Topics Covered:

• How to create designs that transform architectural spaces into homes for students
• Building two new Residential Colleges that Arthi’s team designed at Princeton University
• What specific tools and strategies should be deployed by architectures when building dormitory projects
• Addressing the impact of COVID-19 has had in building on-campus housing
• How to integrate inside and outside to connect the colleges to the site and to the landscape  

About Your Host

Atif Qadir is the Founder & CEO of REDIST, a technology company making it easy for commercial real estate professionals to find and use the $100B of real estate incentives given out every year in the US.

Resources and Links

• Arthi’s LinkedIn
• Deborah Perke Partners Contact 
• Deborah Perke Partners Website
• Grab our exclusive guide Seven Tips on How to Stand Out in Your Field
• Learn more on the American Building website
• Follow us on Instagram
• Connect with Atif Qadir on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Michael Graves
• Learn more about REDIST