Student Housing, the new student housing building in the De Uithof part of Utrecht University, designed by Architectenbureau Marlies Rohmer, is something new- finally, a building without windows! Oh no, this is not what you think.
© Scagliola en Brakkee
The building’s got plenty of windows, spread out amongst the 380 independent and clustered student residences and common rooms. What it doesn’t have, is a facade that must give way its purity to allow windows.
© Scagliola en Brakkee
It’s not facade and windows, the two are one and it’s not a glass curtain wall. Fenestration disappears into the complex and erratic, multicoloured jumble grid of aluminum panels, creating a facade which appears a blended grey from a distance and slowly resolves to bright and vibrant the closer one gets.
Project info:
Architects: Architectenbureau Marlies Rohmer
Country: Netherlands
Area: 18600 m²
Year: 2008
Photographs: Scagliola en Brakkee, AkzoNobel, Rene de Wit
Matt Davis is a Virginia Tech graduate and one of the founding editors behind Arch2O. Launching the platform in mid‑2012 alongside fellow Hokies, he helped shape its identity as an international hub for design innovation and critical dialogue . With a foundation in architectural education and a passion for uncovering unconventional design approaches, Matt has contributed significantly—both editorially and strategically—to Arch2O’s growth, ensuring that emerging architects, academics, and creatives have a space to question, explore, and elevate the built environment.