Off-Campus Student Housing Concept
Connecting Campus and City at Chattanooga’s Vine Street Development
The Vine Street development was envisioned as a transformative link between the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) and the city’s downtown core. For years, surface parking lots and underutilized parcels separated the campus from the cultural and commercial heart of Chattanooga. HED’s concept design sought to bridge that divide with a vibrant, mixed-use community that integrates housing, retail, hospitality, and public space, creating a best-in-class development that serves both students and the broader city.
The proposed development combined off-campus student housing with market-rate residential units, commercial space, and a hotel. This mix not only maximized rentable square footage but also addressed a pressing need for diverse housing options and accessible amenities near the university. With 2,663 beds, the student housing component offered a variety of styles to accommodate different preferences and budgets, making it an appealing alternative to traditional dormitories.
The design embraced Chattanooga’s proposed downtown-based code to activate the street edge and replace inactive parking lots with active urban uses. By prioritizing storefronts, transparent facades, and public-facing amenities, the development introduced new opportunities for shops, dining, and services missing from the area. In doing so, it created a stronger, more welcoming connection between the university and downtown.
Accessibility to open space was a defining principle of the concept. Landscaped courtyards, pocket parks, and pedestrian pathways were designed to encourage movement through the site, reinforcing it as a connector rather than a barrier. The combination of public plazas and green space supported informal gatherings and recreational use, ensuring that Vine Street would serve as a destination for both residents and the larger community.
The vision for Vine Street was not limited to physical structures but extended to the experience of urban life. By blending housing, retail, and hospitality with open, walkable design, the project positioned itself as a catalyst for revitalization. It offered UTC students the energy of downtown living paired with the convenience of campus adjacency, while inviting local residents and visitors to engage with a district once defined by parking lots.
Though developed as a study, the Vine Street concept underscores the transformative potential of thoughtful urban design. By knitting together university and city, it demonstrates how reinvestment in underutilized land can strengthen identity, create opportunity, and foster a shared sense of community in Chattanooga.
