SmartDome

Inspired by my own lived experience, SmartDome reimagines student housing to address the challenges compact cities like New York face with traditional university dormitories. Dorms are often associated with late-night activity, noise, and poor upkeep—factors that lead many local residents to oppose living near them. In a dense urban environment, however, keeping dormitories close to campus while minimizing disruption to surrounding communities is nearly impossible. SmartDome proposes a radical solution: a system that functions simultaneously as student housing and transportation. By relocating the dormitory’s charging and docking hub into the sky, SmartDome removes the burden placed on local neighborhoods. Its mobility allows students to travel directly to their classes, eliminating concerns about distance and commute time. Integrated with intuitive, adaptive technologies throughout each unit, SmartDome enhances everyday living and elevates the overall quality of the student experience. This concept challenges conventional ideas of urban student housing and demonstrates how technology-driven design can solve longstanding tensions between universities and the cities they inhabit.