Located in a dense single and multi-family housing district of Manhattan, Kansas, the Collegiate House establishes a unique co-housing typology for university students, while being sensitive to the immediate building scale and regional vernacular. Responding to the project brief, the densely stacked section creates a programmatic arrangement allowing for the highest possible level of density for the site. Composed of two symmetrical duplex units, each contains a short-term rental on the lower level, shared common living on the first floor, and a student suite on the second floor. The two units are separated by a shared courtyard and roof deck.

The form of the building is simple and direct, recalling the vernacular barn structures of central Kansas. Its material palette—featuring shou-sugi-ban wood siding and limestone-colored masonry—draws inspiration from the seasonal burning of prairie grasslands and the limestone outcroppings of the Kansas Flint Hills region.

The student-suite level contains the student bedrooms, located adjacent to a shared study area and bathrooms. Each bedroom features a recessed desk expressed as a tall dormer, providing daylight and a visual connection to adjacent tree canopies. The two duplex units are linked by a shared roof deck overlooking the courtyard below.

The common-living level includes the kitchen, living room, and dining room, arranged in an open plan with visual and physical connections between the two duplex units through the shared courtyard.

The short-term-rental level offers two suites with bedrooms, living area, and a small kitchenette centered around a sunken window court. These units are intended for parents and guests of the students or other visitors to Manhattan.