Clemson Home embarked on a multi-year Bryan Mall Renovation Project in 2023, starting with Byrnes Hall this past summer. Roughly six months after the Brynes Hall construction began, Manning Hall is set to be the second high-rise to be renovated, going offline in the summer of 2024 and reopening fall 2025.
Currently wrapping up selected demolition and abatement activities to Byrnes Hall, including electrical, mechanical, accessibility and plumbing improvements, Clemson is expected to reopen Byrnes Hall next fall. Additionally, there will be social and study spaces on every floor, as well as new common areas, according to Kathy Hobgood, the associate vice president for Auxiliary Enterprises at Clemson.
One of the newest features set to be in the renovated Manning Hall is that the first floor will be rotated 180 degrees to face the outdoor green space between all three high rises.
“This shift in floor plan will strengthen connections to outdoor space while also building a powerful sense of community,” Hobgood said in an email to The Tiger.
The Bryan Mall renovations will conclude with Lever Hall and final site work in 2026.
In February 2020, Clemson Home revisited its 2008 Housing Master Plan as well as the Bryan Mall Renovation Project. Part of the master planning process studied three major factors — the percentage of undergraduate students being housed on campus, the most efficient way to renovate or build facilities and possible locations of new facilities.
Results from these studies highlighted key projects, which included renovating the high rises, as well as an expansion of Douthit Hills and a possible new community on the current Thornhill Village site. A feasibility study is currently underway considering the possibilities of an additional residence hall within the Douthit Hills community and a new community to the south of Douthit Hills, which potentially would include new housing and dining amenities. The feasibility study is set to conclude by early 2024, Hobgood said in an interview with The Tiger.
More specifically, over the next five years, Clemson Home will see the demolition of Johnstone Hall and Harcombe Dining Hall, as well as investments in major mechanical upgrades at Holmes Hall and McCabe Hall, Mickel Hall and Schilletter Dining Hall — a commitment to sustainability goals of reducing utility costs and increasing comfort levels through efficient energy use, according to Hobgood.
In addition to these updates, Clemson Home is working on the improvement of outdoor space between Douthit Hills and the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business. Clemson Home is currently reviewing a phased approach to improve the landscapes and hardscapes in this area, as well as the addition of outdoor seating mixed with recreational and study spaces throughout the area.
