St. Olaf College – Ole Avenue Project

Project Details:

ICS is responsible for the overall coordination and management of an extensive plan to transform campus life for students at St. Olaf. The Ole Avenue project includes the planning, design, and construction of a project that features a new 300-bed residence hall, 14 townhouse units that support an additional 140 beds, and all associated site development including parking, outdoor gathering spaces, and other improvements to promote interaction and community between students, staff, and campus visitors.

For over 30 years, the Northfield campus has grown substantially, creating a need for more space and functionality. The addition of these new residences will result in a truly transformative change for St. Olaf college by providing more student support and social spaces to further enhance student interaction and improve the campus experience. Additionally, these renovations will also meet modern standards for elements such as safety and accessibility while supporting initiatives related to equity and inclusiveness in student housing.

In addition to the Ole Avenue Project, ICS is also engaged in numerous other planning and project efforts at St. Olaf. Recent efforts include coordination and management of renovations for the Rare Book Collection Library, construction of the new St. Olaf House, creation of a long-range plan for improvement of all existing residence halls, renovations of Hilleboe & Kittelsby residence halls, and analysis of the campus central power plants.

The IMPACT

“ICS is extremely excited to be an integral part of such a transformative project effort for St. Olaf.  We are confident that completion of these incredible projects will result in enhanced student experiences for many years to come.”  -Pat Overom, Principal

“Living and learning together in community is a hallmark of the St. Olaf experience. We are making this investment in housing to ensure that our residence life experience matches the caliber of our academic experience. This is a consequential project that will support generations of students.” -President David. R. Anderson ‘74

Renderings courtesy of WorkShop Architects.

  • 144,000 SF
  • Fall 2022
  • $60 million
  • Owner's representation
  • Dana Fontaine, Bryce Kinniry, Pat Overom, Andy Terveer, Todd Wetzel, and Raeann Wynn
  • Workshop Architects, CMTA, and The Boldt Company