A New Gateway for Campus Living
Netta Architects, in association with Niles Bolton Associates, served as an architecture partner for NJIT Maple Hall, a new apartment-style student housing community in Newark, New Jersey. Delivered through a public-private partnership between NJIT and RISE Real Estate Company, the eight-story development provides 176 apartments and 548 beds for upper-level and graduate students. The approximately 250,000-square-foot building also includes ground-level retail, administrative space, student amenities, and integrated structured parking.
Located at the prominent intersection of Warren and Wickliff Streets, Maple Hall strengthens an important gateway to the NJIT campus. Brick-inlaid insulated precast panels connect the building to the surrounding campus architecture. At the corner, an eight-story glass entrance tower creates a visible landmark and opens views toward the Newark and New York City skylines.
The residence offers apartment layouts ranging from studios to four-bedroom units, with many single-occupancy bedrooms and full kitchens. Student amenities include private and group study rooms, lounges, a gaming area, a creative collaboration studio, a community clubroom, and package services. An elevated courtyard adds an outdoor kitchen, firepits, gathering areas, and an open lawn. Sustainable design strategies include low-VOC finishes, energy-efficient appliances, low-flow fixtures, recycled-content materials, bicycle storage, and access to public transportation.
Maple Hall opened for the fall 2022 semester and celebrated its official ribbon cutting on September 29, 2022. The project expanded NJIT’s residential capacity while introducing a modern model of apartment-style campus living. It also received a 2022 New Jersey’s Leading Infrastructure Projects Award from the New Jersey Alliance for Action.
Design Features
Apartment-Style Student Living
Integrated Campus Development
Campus Identity and Sustainability
Prominent Campus Gateway
Elevated Outdoor Courtyard
Active Ground-Level Experience
Challenge
NJIT needed to expand its on-campus housing capacity on a constrained urban site. The project also had to combine student residences, retail, parking, offices, and shared amenities within one coordinated development. Its design needed to respect the existing campus while creating a distinct new identity at a major intersection. The team also advanced the project through a public-private partnership during pandemic-era construction and financing uncertainty.
Solution
The design organizes parking, retail, offices, and the residential entrance at the lower level, with student housing and amenities above. An elevated courtyard creates a central outdoor gathering space over the parking structure. Brick-inlaid precast panels connect the exterior to nearby campus buildings, while the glass corner tower gives Maple Hall a modern and recognizable presence. A range of apartment types, study areas, lounges, and social spaces supports both independent living and student connection.
Impact
Maple Hall added 548 beds and 176 apartment-style units to NJIT’s housing inventory. The project gives upper-level and graduate students greater access to private bedrooms, full kitchens, study spaces, and shared amenities. Ground-level retail and a prominent campus entrance help activate the surrounding area, while the building strengthens NJIT’s identity along Warren and Wickliff Streets.
