Construction continues on South Hall, set to open this fall. Work is being completed in conjunction with MSKTD, architect, and F.A. Wilhelm Construction, lead contractor.
It can be hard to tell just by looking at the outside, but after two years, the construction at Purdue University’s South Hall is coming to an end — and soon. Set to open to students this fall, South Hall will be the newest residence hall in West Lafayette.
Tom Paczolt, associate director of planning and construction management for University Residences, expects the building’s construction to be complete and the interior fully furnished by the end of July.
South Hall’s main design focus is to provide The Data Mine learning community, which previously resided in Hillenbrand Hall, with a new, dedicated space. The Data Mine will have its own entrance into the building as well as access to nine learning labs.
Connecting to Hillenbrand Hall adjacent to a dining court expansion, South Hall provides eight new floors — including a main floor with dining court seating, lounges, study spaces and a Sushi Boss restaurant. Additionally, the main floor features a recreation area with televisions, video games, ping-pong and billiards.
Interior rendering of community spaces on the first floor of South Hall, courtesy MSKTD.
The seven residential floors provide a variety of single-occupancy rooms, doubles, triples and quads — as well as floor lounges, study rooms and music rooms.
Each floor includes accessible rooms and restrooms, with a combination of communal and private restrooms, ensuring compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements and providing privacy for residents.
“We are excited to provide students with opportunities. While thinking through the design, we wanted to make sure students can live however they want and have amenities provided right there for them,” Paczolt says.
Bryan Austin, residential academic initiatives and Executive in Residence director, agrees.
“We’re incredibly excited to open South Hall with our Data Mine partners,” Austin says. “Academic highlights of the building include dedicated corporate partner classroom space, study areas and support from our Faculty Fellows program.”
With the main construction nearing completion, University Residences staff are focusing on final logistics such as furnishings and supplies, while contractors and others complete data connections and glass installations, and they look forward to welcoming students for the fall 2026 semester.
In addition to providing an innovative space for The Data Mine learning community, South Hall will add 875 student beds, which is crucial for accommodating Purdue’s student population. South Hall, combined with Purdue’s newest apartment community,3rd & West, contributes to a 35% increase in on-campus beds.
“(South Hall) is a much-needed project for our system, especially as we’ve grown exponentially in the last several years,” Paczolt says.
