Catawba College celebrated the opening of Centennial Hall, its new $30 million residence hall, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, October 29, during the College's Homecoming celebration. The three-story, 130-bed building welcomed its first students in August 2026 and was designed to meet rigorous standards for energy efficiency and student comfort.
Centennial Hall is designed to pursue Passive House (Phius) certification, a performance-based standard that significantly reduces building energy demands. Its projected energy use intensity (EUI) of 29.7, compared with approximately 57.9 for a typical residence hall, represents a nearly 49 percent reduction in energy use per square foot. The building's design incorporates high-performance insulation, airtight construction, and efficient heating and cooling systems to achieve these savings.
“Beyond the efficiencies and cost savings data, this project also demonstrates how sustainability can create meaningful co-benefits across our campus and community,” said Dr. Lee Ball, Vice President of Sustainability at Catawba College. “From job creation to expanding our students’ living laboratory, we see how environmental innovation can drive real impact in our community.”
Students also played a significant role in shaping Centennial Hall. Working with Stantec, the College gathered input from nearly 200 students through workshops, surveys, and design sessions. Their feedback helped inform the building's shared spaces, including community lounges, study areas, and a Great Room designed for gathering.
“Our team was impressed by how openly and honestly Catawba listened to their students,” said Sara G. Stein, Principal at Stantec. “It's clear this isn’t just words on a page. The school’s leadership truly values and respects student perspectives, and that input helped shape a design responsive to the campus community’s needs.”
Balfour Beatty served as the project's construction partner, working with Stantec and the College to implement construction methods and building systems designed to support Passive House performance requirements.
The name Centennial Hall commemorates a century since Catawba relocated from Newton to Salisbury in 1925. Its Collegiate Gothic architecture draws from the campus's historic character, while its energy-efficient systems reflect the College's long-term commitment to environmental stewardship. The building opens as Catawba celebrates its 175th anniversary.
Centennial Hall is part of a broader renewal of Catawba's campus that includes renovations to existing residence halls, the restoration of the former coal-burning power plant as a student gathering place, and a district geoexchange system that will eventually provide heating and cooling to 26 campus buildings. Together, these projects represent an investment in the places where students live and learn and in the responsible stewardship of the College's resources.
For more information about Catawba College's capital projects, visit catawba.edu/capitalprojects.
About Catawba College
Founded in 1851, Catawba College is a four-year, private liberal arts college located on a 276-acre campus, including a 189-acre ecological preserve, in Salisbury, N.C. Ranked as one of the best colleges in the South, Catawba is a learning community of nearly 1,400 students from 35 states and 45 nations, providing students with opportunities shaped by the Catawba Ideal: Scholarship with Character and Culture for Service. Additional information is available at catawba.edu.
Pictured in photo at top, left to right:
- Barbara Marshall - Chair, Catawba College Board of Trustees
- Dr. David P. Nelson - President, Catawba College
- Makeda Michael - President, Catawba College Student Government Association
- Mark Warner - Design Principal, Stantec
