Construction has started on an 887-bed, 332-unit student housing community at UNC Charlotte. The property, being developed by Haven Campus Communities, is across University City Boulevard from the school's main campus.

The University City development will offer fully furnished one-, two-, four-, and five-bedroom units. The housing will also feature a customizable suite of smart apartment systems, created by Haven, accessible via mobile platforms.

Students will be able to control common area smart lighting, smart thermostats and smart ceiling fans through the Amazon Echo, which will be provided in each unit. Outlets will also be equipped with USB plugins and the units will come with smart HDTVs.

The building itself has a touchscreen video intercom for controlling building access and an iOS and Android-compatible app that allows students to see visitors before granting entrance. Internet service will be through the project’s on-site managed network.

The property is slated to open in time for the fall semester in 2018.