University of Michigan unveils new $649M, 5-building dorm complex, Wolverine Village

As the University of Michigan prepares to welcome students back to campus, many will be the first to experience its newest residence halls.

The University of Michigan surveyed more than 2,600 students for their input when designing the five buildings that make up Wolverine Village on the southwest side of central campus.

New homes for students on the University of Michigan's central campus aren't just a literal description of the new Wolverine Village; they also refer to how the Great Lakes inspired the connection among these five buildings.

H.O.M.E.S., as in Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior. Each building carries one of those themes, and, much like the lakes themselves, it's the flow connecting the individual buildings that the University of Michigan says makes them so great.

"The concept is that any of the 2,300 students that would potentially live in this space can go to different buildings to interact with other classmates and find different things in different buildings," said University of Michigan housing director Rick Gibson.

Like the yoga room in Building 3, the e-gaming lounge in Dr. E. Royster Harper Hall, and, of course, Michigan's newest dining hall in Building 1, which can serve up to 800 students.

"Those are some of the examples of the various amenity spaces that are spread out around the complex that will encourage students to see them all," Gibson said.

The university says the addition of Wolverine Village now allows all first-year students the chance to find housing on central campus, increasing the undergrad housing capacity by 25%.

The University of Michigan says it also offers a more affordable option for returning students compared to off-campus homes, apartments, and high-rises.

"Enhancing the overall residential experience was part of the motivation to provide more housing on central campus," Gibson said.

The university also says this complex is all-electric, supported by on-site solar panels and geothermal heating and cooling.