ATLANTA — Georgia Tech is opening a new residence hall Thursday as students return to campus.

The eight-story Bud and Val Peterson Hall is the first traditional residence hall to open on the Georgia Tech campus in nearly 70 years.

The new co-ed residence hall features 862 beds for first-year students, along with numerous common areas and amenities, including a 24-hour market, fitness areas and esports spaces.

Kari White says the building was designed to encourage students to interact and build a sense of community.

“We built traditional style housing because research shows us we need that opportunity to engage with each other, and if they’re inside a space and the doors are all closed, then we’re losing that community building opportunity,” White said.

The residence hall is located on the west side of campus and also features views and natural light throughout the building.

“All of the natural light and the natural sensibilities that the architects brought into this space really thinking about what it takes to thrive when you’re in college and really bringing that into the building was important,” White said.