People walking upstairs in the UC may have noticed a peculiar structure taking shape.

The UTM Office of Housing has contracted the project of a life-size model of the new student apartment units, a project scheduled for completion in fall of 2005.

The complex is being designed by TLM of Jackson and Evans Taylor Foster Childress Architects of Memphis in a joint venture.

A display of the conceptual drawings and floor plans is on display on the first floor of the UC.

With the contracting portion of the project taken care of, focus is now being shifted to the interior design.

"We are looking for furniture with student appeal, sturdy construction, durability, functional, and competitively priced," Housing Director Earl Wright said.

The model apartment will be fully furnished.

"I am getting student input on furniture. We have catalogs in the office for furniture and letters have gone out to several students asking the students to stop by and look at the catalogs and share their opinion," Wright said.

Other details, such as paint color and carpeting, have not yet been discussed.

Amenities include full size beds and personal showers for each resident, as well as individualized heating and air systems for each bedroom.

The Pacer will continue examining the progress of these and other development projects around campus.