Residence Hall | Education | Mixed-Use Institutional

Ottawa University

Surprise, AZ

59,260 sqft.

Veritas Hall is a five-story residence hall and academic facility developed through a long-standing public–private partnership between the City of Surprise and Ottawa University of Arizona (OUAZ). Located within the City’s 200-acre civic and recreation campus and adjacent to Surprise City Hall, the project strengthens the integration of higher education and public use envisioned by the City Council over eight years ago.

Structurally, project features 4 levels of prefab wood floor and roof trusses over wood framed walls, over 1 level of cast-in-place concrete podium, over conventional concrete spread footing foundations with miscellaneous steel and masonry components.

Architect: Cawley Architects

General Contractor: Chasse Building Team

Specifications

Project Details

Building & Planning Highlights

Five-story, 59,260 SF dormitory and academic facility linking the OUAZ and City of Surprise campuses
Tallest building in the City of Surprise at 70 feet
First “Five-over-One” podium building in Surprise
- Four stories of Type V-A wood-frame construction
- One story of Type I-A concrete construction

Academic & Administrative Spaces

4,400 SF of new classroom space with state-of-the-art audio/visual technology
5,250 SF office expansion supporting OUAZ’s growing faculty
Ground-floor classrooms designed for flexible scheduling and reduced student travel time

Residential & Student Life Amenities

Residential units ranging from four-person bunked rooms to six-person suites with individual sleeping quarters
All unit types include private restrooms, kitchenettes, and dedicated living areas
Communal and private study spaces on each floor, including unique “destination spaces”
Dedicated movie theater, e-sports room, and tabletop gaming spaces

Delivery & Collaboration

Designed, permitted, and constructed in 15 months
Delivered during supply chain and labor challenges while maintaining uninterrupted campus operations
Result of close collaboration between the City of Surprise, OUAZ, Cawley Architects, and Chasse Building Team

Completed Projects