Student Life

A Sneak Preview of USC Village

March 22, 2016 Diane Krieger

USC Village is designed in the Collegiate Gothic style, inspired by architecture found in early English universities. Wrapped in USC’s signature brick and cast stone, the new buildings and grounds will blend and connect seamlessly with the existing University Park Campus.

  1. Restaurants, a grocery store and shops will serve the community on the first level.
  2. Underground customer parking will accommodate 460 cars. (A new 1,300-car structure will go up next to the Shrine Auditorium to serve increased USC parking needs.)
  3. Students live on upper levels of the residence halls.
  4. Residence halls will have a single entryway, card-key lobby access, 24-hour security guards and fingerprint scanning elevators. (Even the bikes will be secure, with covered spaces near building entrances.)
  5. Nine private courtyards, three large multi-use classroom spaces, and more than 20 study-lounges will be accessible only to residents.
  6. Peripheral fencing will funnel pedestrians and cyclists to three-way crosswalks, creating safe areas to cross Jefferson Boulevard.
  7. A statue of the female counterpart to Tommy Trojan will stand in the grand plaza. She is Hecuba, “queen of the ancient city of Troy, mother of all Trojans, the beating heart of the Trojan Empire,” explains President C. L. Max Nikias.
  8. A bridge will connect two residential colleges.
  9. The Honors College features an iconic clock tower.
  10. A 30,000-square-foot fitness center, basketball courts and green space will expand access to recreation and exercise for USC students.