Architectural Polymers

North Campus Residential Expansion

The Cornell University North Campus Residential Expansion (NCRE) is a 776,000-square-foot, LEED Gold student housing development that demonstrates the power of architectural precast in delivering both performance and design continuity at scale. Spanning two phases and five residence halls, the project utilized a highly efficient insulated precast wall system to meet accelerated construction timelines while maintaining long-term durability and energy performance. More than 1,500 precast panels, encompassing approximately 240,000 square feet of architectural façade, were manufactured and installed with precision, integrating over 70,000 embedded terra cotta tiles in varied tones to achieve a rich, textured exterior expression.

The façade design serves as a contemporary reinterpretation of Cornell’s traditional brick and stone campus architecture, blending precast concrete with terra cotta to create depth, rhythm, and visual cohesion across the courtyard-style buildings. This approach allowed the project team to balance cost-efficiency with elevated aesthetics, while supporting large-scale residential construction demands. The result is a modern, high-performance precast solution that enhances the campus environment, reinforces architectural identity, and showcases the versatility of precast systems in complex, multi-building developments.