Earlier this year, the North Avenue Apartments earned LEED gold certification for its sustainable design. Now, the Atlanta Urban Design Commission (UDC) has honored the facility’s dining hall with an Award of Excellence.

The North Avenue Dining Hall earned the honor for the enhancements its sustainable design elements have brought to the intersection of North Avenue and Centennial Olympic Park Drive/Techwood Drive. 

The “addition of the dining hall creates a vibrant street wall and the public space at the corner,” said a statement from the UDC. "While delightful now, [it] will improve with age as the trees create a ceiling for the well-placed outdoor room.” Prior to these changes, the building’s street presence was described as “less than welcoming.”

The dining hall, which opened to campus in the fall of 2011, was the first new dining hall to open on campus since Woodruff’s opening on west campus in 1985. On average, North Avenue serves more than 12,000 students per week during the spring and fall semesters. Meal choices include traditional dining hall fare of pizza, burgers and sandwiches, as well as more expansive options such as pho, world fare and a chef’s station. 

Originally built to house athletes for the 1996 Olympic games, the North Avenue Apartments became part of Georgia Tech housing in 2007. The area now home to the dining hall previously housed other external dining establishments.