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2019
Apr. 05, 2019

Aspire apartments incorporate 21st century digital lifestyle on Purdue campus

Aspire apartments incorporate 21st century digital lifestyle on Purdue campus

Aspire at Discovery Park integrates IOTAS Smart Home Technology in buildings, allowing students to control access, apartment locks, lights, thermostat and outlets using a smartphone. 

Aspire at Discovery Park is the first apartment community on the Purdue University campus to feature tech-centric living with an integrated smart home experience for students and residents to meet the growing demand for technology-driven, connected living spaces in the higher education arena.

Aspire, a new three-building, 831-bed community, will open before Aug.19, when the Purdue academic year begins. It is the first development in the $1 billion-plus Discovery Park District, a 450-acre district that will feature 7 million square feet of office and business spaces, housing, parks with trails, research facilities and industrial and manufacturing facilities.

Aspire, developed by Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions and managed and marketed by its affiliate, Balfour Beatty Communities, will include the IOTAS smart home technology that allows students to seamlessly control building access, apartment lighting, locks and thermostat directly from a smartphone app while on the go.

“Today’s students desire smart home technologies that accommodate their connected lifestyles, and the high demand for this community in the pre-opening phase reinforces that notion,” said Bob Shepko, president of Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions. “Our goal is to stay attuned to and ahead of what students want in their living environments, and we feel we’ve done that at Aspire at Discovery Park. We are excited by the response to this community, and we look forward to bringing the next level of connected living to the students at Purdue University.”

The development offers a variety of studio, two-bedroom and four-bedroom apartment styles. Each unit is equipped with amenities, including high-speed wireless internet and cable, in-unit washer and dryer, and marble and quartz countertops.

Other amenities include:
• Smartphone video intercom system to identify individuals at the building’s front door and ability to issue virtual keys for guest access
• Individual and group study and areas
• Crave Food Hall at Discovery Park, offering elevated dining options from artisan burgers and sushi to gelato, coffee and microbrews
• 24-hour fitness and wellness center
• Gaming center with pool table, ping-pong and televisions
• Campus garage parking

Aspire at Discovery Park is located on the south side of State Street, a major east-west route for people traveling through campus, and is within walking distance to CityBus stops, coffee shops, retail and restaurants.

“Aspire establishes a cornerstone of Discovery Park District and sets the stage for the other facilities and residential areas soon to come,” said Jeremy Slater, director of Discovery Park District. “We are very pleased that Aspire has integrated innovative technology within their development, something that is a key factor within DPD, similarly to other projects like Convergence that are under construction.”

Convergence, a second building under construction in the district, is a 145,000-square-foot, five-story mixed-use building slated for dedication in early 2020. The facility connects Purdue research, industry, investors and innovative ideas with commercial impact through collaborative research, licensing and startup creation to private enterprise and serves as a “welcome center” for visitors to the district.

Discovery Park District’s construction plan will take place over a 15-20-year period, and is a partnership between Purdue Research Foundation and Browning Investments LLC.

The district supports the $120 million State Street Redevelopment Project jointly developed by the city of West Lafayette and Purdue University. The project stretches from the Wabash River through downtown West Lafayette, Purdue’s campus and Discovery Park District to State Street’s intersection with U.S. 231.

About Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions

Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions LLC provides development, asset/property management, and other real estate services to colleges, universities and their affiliated entities with a special focus on projects utilizing a public-private partnership model. The company offers an alternative solution for higher education institutions to finance and execute their necessary capital plans, including academic facilities for faculty, classrooms and labs, athletic spaces, wellness centers and student housing. Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions is part of Balfour Beatty Investments Inc., 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 U.K.-based international infrastructure group operating in construction services, support services and infrastructure investments.

About Balfour Beatty Communities

Balfour Beatty Communities, LLC is a diversified real estate services company delivering development, design, financing, construction, renovation, property and facilities management services in the multifamily, student and military housing sectors. A leader in the industry, Balfour Beatty Communities has more than 50,000 residential units and $6 billion in real estate assets under management and has developed or renovated more than 29,000 units with a total value of close to $4 billion. Headquartered outside Philadelphia, Balfour Beatty Communities has more than 1,200 employees and is a subsidiary of Balfour Beatty Investments Inc. Balfour Beatty Investments is part of Balfour Beatty plc, a global leader in construction services, support services, and infrastructure investment.

About Purdue Research Foundation

The Purdue Research Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation created to advance the mission of Purdue University. Established in 1930, the foundation accepts gifts; administers trusts; funds scholarships and grants; acquires property; protects Purdue's intellectual property; and promotes entrepreneurial activities on behalf of Purdue. The foundation manages the Purdue Foundry, Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization, Purdue Research Park and Purdue Technology Centers. The foundation received the 2016 Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities Award for Innovation from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. For more information about funding and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Foundry at foundry@prf.org.

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