PROJECT OVERVIEW

Driven by growing enrollment, the University of Tennessee–Knoxville expanded its student housing facilities in 2023. Phase 1 of the project included two nine-story total–precast concrete structures, Beacon Hall East and Beacon Hall West, which each provided 583 new beds for students starting in fall 2025.

Read more about this project in the Winter 2026 issue of Ascent.

PRECAST SOLUTION

Total–precast concrete quickly emerged as the building material of choice to meet the project’s tight timeline with a planned opening for the fall semester. The two fast-tracked structures were completed in about 20 months.

Owners

University of Tennessee, RISE Real Estate

Architect

Niles Bolton Associates

Contractors

Blaine Construction Corporation, Choate Construction

Structural Engineer

Veitas Engineers

Precast Concrete Producer & Photo Credit

Metromont

Key Project Attributes

• Casa Durango contains 37 affordable housing units with first-floor, on-grade parking for approximately 30 cars along with building amenities that include a community room, bike storage, and on-site laundry.
• The two fast-tracked student housing structures were completed in about 20 months.

Project/Precast Scope

• Exterior façade features that included integrated arches and projections in a medium sandblast finish with cast-in thin brick to complement the existing campus architecture.
• Precast concrete was chosen for the project because of site constraints. The site was very tight and the buildings had to get online quickly.
• The precast concrete producer poured the structures’ keystones separately and then attached them to the precast concrete walls in the factory. Arches were easier to achieve in precast concrete.