Through workshops held during the programming phase for the new student community building, the design team learned that students wanted a more traditional residence hall layout as they felt it encouraged residents to come out of their rooms and increased opportunities to meet fellow residents. To respond to student desires, the upper floors feature traditional freshman double-occupancy rooms and community bathrooms. More community building spaces are located throughout the building including two-story social lounges with kitchenettes and laundry on each floor, as well as several group study lounges.

Located along the University’s new pedestrian thoroughfare, de Nobili features an active ground floor with a 400-seat dining hall that offers a variety of eateries. The design team created the dining hall as a place to eat during traditional mealtime hours and could also serve as a large, multi-purpose lounge. The space was designed to allow seating to remain open and accessible by all students as a 24-hour study lounge even when the servery is closed.