June 25, 2026 — Design architect Lawrence Group, with architect-of-record Corgan, has completed designs for a new residence hall at the University of St. Thomas (UST) in Houston, TX. The project included a feasibility study on two proposed construction sites and design of a five-story, 95,000-square-foot student housing facility to accommodate 400 residents.
Designs for the new residence hall include a combination of double-, single-, and suite-style units and a Resident Assistant apartment, as well as various communal spaces for gathering, prayer and study.
As Houston’s only Catholic university, the project will enable UST to double its current student resident capacity when it opens to students in the fall of 2028.
Lawrence Group Principal Javier Esteban, AIA, LEED AP, stated:
This new residence hall will create a unique experience that reinforces UST’s Catholic mission and identity through a vibrant city-like housing complex that engages and promotes social, spiritual, and academic interaction and activity.
The new residence hall will provide not only state-of-the-art living spaces but also thoughtfully designed areas inside and outside that support prayer and reflection in addition to students’ academic pursuits, including a private garden designed for a future grotto.
A chapel designed at the hall’s core for 50+ students will serve as the spiritual heartbeat of the building, with dedicated spaces for small group and individual prayer to ensure that students can encounter God in every corner of their lives.
“These intentional features reflect UST’s deep conviction that a university education is about more than intellectual development — it is about nurturing the soul,” according to the university.
The new residence hall’s façade is inspired by its surrounding neighborhood and architect Philip Johnson’s postmodernist design of the university’s quad, which includes Welder, Jones and Strake halls — box-shaped, brick buildings connected by two-story walkways.
Esteban explained:
The new hall’s exterior bridges both styles since the building is at the edge of the campus. The exterior uses large openings to bring in lots of natural light to the bedrooms, combined with a brick color that works with the edge of the campus, and stone that elevates the aesthetic qualities of the project.
A groundbreaking ceremony marking the start of construction on the new hall at 1302 Sul Ross St. across from Guinan Hall was held on June 12. Turner & Townsend Heery is serving as the owner’s representative; Harvey Cleary of Houston, Texas, is the general contractor on the project.
Founded in 1947, the University of St. Thomas’s main campus is located in the Montrose neighborhood bordering Houston’s Museum District. Many of the university’s offices are located in residential homes built in the 1930s. The university’s theology department is housed in the childhood home of famed American aviator, film tycoon and business magnate Howard Hughes.
Founded in 1983, Lawrence Group is an integrated planning and design firm headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, with professional staff in Texas, Florida and New York. The firm specializes in architecture, interior design, master planning, landscape architecture and furniture procurement for the healthcare, education, retail, hospitality, housing, senior living and workplace markets.
Lawrence Group’s Student Housing and Education teams collaborate to design engaging student life environments that are unique and memorable places to live, learn and grow. In 2023, Lawrence Group expanded its expertise with the acquisition of KWK Architects, a nationally recognized leader in student housing design. Together, the team brings a deep portfolio of experience, having shaped residential communities on more than 40 college and university campuses nationwide.
