The Villa Park Orchard (K-Residence Hall) is a unique student-housing project at Chapman University. It presented the design team with a pressing challenge: help the university be a better neighbor in Orange, California, where students had taken over housing in the local, historic old town. A 400-bed building that blends with the historic vibe was designed for undergraduate students studying in the film school. The 125,000-SF project features a 5,200-SF, multi-purpose space for hosting activities such as casual meetings, private film showings, film editing and formal showings for the community. The design of the building’s exterior reflects the industrial nature of the neighborhood, where old warehouses and packing houses still stand. The project consists of a partial basement, which functions as a subterranean courtyard, with type I construction at grade level and four levels of Type V wood construction above.