In the fall of 2026, Rice University will open its 12th residential college, the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao College — referred to as Chao College — made possible by a generous gift from the Chao family foundation led by Houston business leaders and siblings Dorothy Chao Jenkins, James Chao and Rice Trustee Emeritus Albert Chao.
Chao College will offer nearly 300 on-campus beds and, together with its off-campus community, will be home to more than 400 undergraduate students. Construction is underway along Entrance 4 on Main Street for a sustainably designed building complex featuring two residential towers. One tower is five stories, and the other is 10 stories. The complex will also include a 3,000-square-foot rooftop terrace and an 11,000-square-foot central quad.
The building was designed by renowned Danish architectural firm Henning Larsen, with Houston-based Kirksey as executive architect and Harvey Cleary Construction as general contractor.