Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions Partners with Wentworth Institute of Technology to Deliver Transformational First-Year Residence Hall

MALVERN, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Balfour Beatty’s Campus Solutions (BBCS) today announced its partnership with Wentworth Institute of Technology to deliver the university's new First-Year Tower Residence Hall, a landmark student housing development that will transform the first-year residential experience in the heart of Boston.

The project, a $200 million, 18-story, 202,000-square-foot residence hall, will accommodate 972 first-year students, bringing Wentworth's entire first-year residential class together under one roof for the first time in the institution's history. The development is the largest capital project ever undertaken by the university and serves as a cornerstone of Wentworth's Institutional Master Plan.

BBCS is partnering with BOND and Perkins&Will to create a vibrant living-learning environment designed to foster community, academic success, and student well-being. Once complete, the First-Year Tower will provide students with modern residential accommodations and community-centered spaces designed to support their transition to college life. Key features of the development include:

• 972 student beds designed for first-year students
• Dining venues and community gathering spaces
• Dedicated student lounges and collaboration areas throughout the residential floors
• Enhanced pedestrian connectivity

The residence hall will also set a new benchmark for sustainable campus development in Massachusetts. Designed to achieve Passive House standards, the building will be among the first all-electric residence halls of its kind in the state, dramatically reducing energy consumption while providing residents with enhanced indoor air quality, thermal comfort, and long-term operational efficiency.

"Our partnership with Wentworth has been especially meaningful as we've worked together to reimagine the first-year residential experience. Delivering a project of this scale in less than a year required strong collaboration, and Wentworth has been an exceptional partner throughout the process. Together, we've helped create a community designed to support student well-being, foster connection, and set students up for success from their very first day on campus,” said Amy Aponte, Senior Vice President, Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions.

"Wentworth set out to build something ambitious on an aggressive timeline, and that only works with the right partner," said Mark A. Thompson, president of Wentworth Institute of Technology. "Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions helped us move from a vision of the tower to breaking ground in remarkable time, while keeping our students at the center of every decision. This building will shape the Wentworth experience for generations."

The project reflects Wentworth's broader goal of expanding on-campus housing and enhancing student success. As part of the university's 10-year Institutional Master Plan, Wentworth intends to add approximately 1,400 new beds and increase the percentage of students living on campus to approximately 75 percent over the next decade.

Beyond its impact on students, the development will support the surrounding neighborhoods by increasing on-campus housing capacity, helping ease pressure on the local rental market while providing new public realm improvements, including enhanced pedestrian connections and transportation infrastructure.

Construction is currently underway, with a formal groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for September 17, 2026. The First-Year Tower is expected to welcome its first residents in August 2028.

About Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions
Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions, LLC provides development, asset/property management, and other real estate services to higher education with a focus on public-private partnerships that underpin the strategic vision of an institution. The company offers public-private partnership (P3) solutions for funding and delivery of capital plans, including residential, academic, administrative, and faculty offices, research, athletic/recreation, student centers, dining, parking, and infrastructure.

Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions is part of Balfour Beatty Investments, a global company focused on financing and operating the vital assets that enable societies and economies to grow: roads and railways, health and education facilities, power and water systems, places to live, and places to work—the infrastructure that underpins progress. Balfour Beatty Investments is a division of Balfour Beatty plc, a UK-based international infrastructure group operating in construction services, support services, and infrastructure investments.

About Wentworth Institute of Technology
Wentworth Institute of Technology is a leading university advancing the fields of the built environment, engineering, and applied technology. With deep expertise in architecture, design, and construction, along with strengths in engineering, computing, emerging technologies, and management, Wentworth offers interdisciplinary, experiential education that prepares students to lead in a rapidly evolving world. Through immersive learning and strong industry partnerships, Wentworth delivers a high return on investment while empowering graduates to drive innovation and create meaningful societal impact today and into the future.