Project Description

Wesley Foundation Residence

Intentional Living Community

Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Completed: 2012

Floor area: 3,800 SF

Wesley Foundations are campus ministry programs of the United Methodist Church, and independently established and directed foundations can be found on most major public university campuses in the United States. The Wesley Foundation of Kalamazoo resides on the campus of Western Michigan University. Their current facility was constructed in the early 1960’s in what was then a single-family residential neighborhood. The WMU campus has since grown into this area and the Foundation property is now in the middle of the campus.

Through an 8 month-long period of negotiation, Wesley Foundation of Kalamazoo and Western Michigan University reached an agreement for a purchase and land swap to allow the foundation to develop a new Student Center and Student Residence on the edge of campus.

The Foundation’s goal of community-building will be accomplished through the development of small group living environments on site.  These residences will function independently and contain 12 single bedrooms with shared baths, and are equipped with a fill kitchen and shared living spaces. The first residence was occupied in August 2012.