American Campus Communities Honored with Two Innovator Awards at Annual InterFace Conference
AUSTIN, TEXAS – APRIL 11, 2025 – American Campus Communities (ACC), the nation’s largest developer, owner and manager of high-quality student housing communities, received two Innovator Awards across multiple categories at Student Housing Business Magazine’s annual InterFace Conference in Austin, Texas.
The Innovator Awards celebrate excellence in student housing, recognizing leading owners, developers, operators, architecture firms and universities.
“It’s an honor to be recognized for two of our communities that reflect our unwavering commitment to student success and well-being,” said James E. Wilhelm, III, Chief Development Officer of American Campus Communities. “These recognitions are a testament to the passion and dedication of our team members, who work tirelessly to create spaces where students can thrive – academically, socially and personally.”
ACC has been honored with the following on-campus awards for 2025:
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On-Campus Best Use of Green & Sustainable Construction/Development: Meadows Apartments at Princeton University – ACC and Seattle-based architecture firm, Mithun, developed the 604-bed community with a design that prioritizes energy efficiency, carbon reduction and resource conservation, ensuring that Princeton’s sustainability mission is reflected in the way students live, learn and engage with their environment. The all-electric and LEED-Silver project’s community has envelopes designed to take advantage of sun, shade and ventilation, as well as district-wide geothermal wells, green roofs, photovoltaic capability and a new geo-exchange system.
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On-Campus Best Public/Private Financing Solution: East Campus Graduate Apartments at University of Texas-Austin – UT Austin, in collaboration with ACC and the 2033 Higher Education Development Foundation, opted for an expedited taxable drawdown loan instead of the conventional tax-exempt bond route for financing student housing. This innovative approach allowed for faster project initiation by eliminating TEFRA notices and rating agency approvals, which are typical hurdles in traditional financing. The East Campus Graduate Housing serves as a groundbreaking model for future university housing initiatives.
In total, ACC has been awarded 55 SHB Innovator Awards since 2013. This year’s conference and award ceremony were held on Thursday, April 10, at the JW Marriott in Austin, Texas.
About American Campus Communities
American Campus Communities is the nation's largest developer, owner, and manager of premium student housing communities throughout the United States. With extensive experience in design, finance, development, construction management, and operational oversight, the company has facilitated over 115 public-private partnership (P3) transactions at 65 colleges and universities nationwide. Visit www.americancampus.com and follow on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X to stay up to date on the latest student housing news.
