Clemson Home is hosting a celebration of the recently completed renovations to its three signature high-rise residential communities on Friday, Oct. 16. The event is scheduled to take place in the shared courtyard space between Byrnes, Lever and Manning halls from 2-4 p.m. and will feature food trucks, yard games and more.
“This event will be a great celebration of the beautiful renovations to the high-rise communities in Bryan Mall,” says Donnie Lloyd, director of auxiliary planning and support. “Students, faculty and staff are all invited to attend as we commemorate an important milestone in the life of Clemson’s residential communities.”
Officials broke ground on the project in 2023. Each academic year since, one of the three high rises has undergone renovations. Byrnes Hall opened in 2024, followed by Manning Hall in 2025 and Lever Hall earlier this semester. In all, the $155 million renovation project has added 40 years to the life span of the three facilities.
The project included significant structural and aesthetic upgrades such as expanded social and study spaces, new common areas, modern “wet core” style bathrooms, and a replacement of each building’s original mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. A new glass-enclosed corner staircase provides students with breathtaking views of campus. Each ground floor has a shared kitchen area and unique elements as well (for example, Byrnes includes a restored pool table from the Union Underground).
The communities are now connected by a new shared courtyard that features lounge and recreational space — making the new-look high-rises a point of destination among first-year students.
“I’ve lived in Bryan Mall for three years now and this is the first time the construction fencing has been down since I’ve been here,” says Kiersten Walters, a parks, recreation and tourism management major who lived in Lever as a first-year student pre-renovation before serving as a residential community mentor in Byrnes post-renovation as a sophomore. “There’s glass and you can see through spaces, which provides so many opportunities for people to hang out outside of their room. Not to mention the cool green space that’s been created. We’ve come together to host events and the turnout has been amazing.”
