3rd & West is a new student apartment community in Purdue’s Discovery Park District, a burgeoning mixed-use and interdisciplinary innovation district in West Lafayette, Indiana. Delivered through a public-private partnership between the Purdue Research Foundation and American Campus Communities, the project provides housing for 640 upper-division students in a variety of unit types, ranging from studios to four-bedroom apartments. All units feature bedroom-to-bathroom parity, allowing apartments to be leased in their entirety or by the bed.

The building’s dynamic form establishes a public plaza at the corner of 3rd and McCormick, serving as a space for district activities like markets and game day events. Beyond the plaza, the residential entry and lobby flow into the community’s primary amenity space. This amenity “bar” defines two unique internal outdoor courtyards; a more public north facing space for larger gatherings and to the south, a more private space with a hammock grove. Floor-to-ceiling glazing visually connects the two courtyards through the amenity spaces, blurring the lines between the indoors and outdoors. Additional amenities include indoor and outdoor kitchens, social and study lounges, private study rooms, and a fitness center. Residential floor study lounges stack the full height of the building at the entry plaza, their glowing light and bold wall graphics becoming a visual marker for the community and Discovery Park District as a whole.

As one of the first projects to implement the district’s new design guidelines, the architecture emphasizes urban design principles that create a safe, active, and welcoming street edge. Along McCormick Road, the main bike route between the district and campus, a generous setback provides room for a wider bike lane and sidewalk. Enhanced with native landscaping and generous lighting, the streetscape offers a safe and inviting experience. Subtle shifts in façade depth and thoughtfully placed glazing introduce texture and rhythm, softening the building’s scale along its extended frontages. The combination of Norman brick, warm gray metal, and light-toned panels imparts a contemporary warmth to the architecture.

Design: SCB
Developer: American Campus Communities
University Partner: Purdue Research Foundation
Contractor: Marous Brothers Construction
Landscape Architect / Land Planner: Rundell Ernstberger Associates
Photography: Darris Lee Harris