RESIDENCE HALLS HAVE COME A LONG WAY. THE traditional double-loaded corridors, cramped quarters, and cinderblock walls are being replaced by places nearly anyone would proudly call home. University Business sought nominations for halls that meet the needs of today's student-those that feel like home yet foster a sense of community through interior and exterior spaces. Of course, students also want to feel safe and that their belongings are secure. And while green buildings are an expectation, sustainable elements must not be too distracting to those residing in the building.
The 76 Dorms of Distinction nominations revealed several trends, including the following:
--STUDENT INPUT
Institutions are conducting focus groups and broader surveys during design phase, putting furniture choices on display for students to vote on, and creating full mock-ups of rooms for student walk-throughs. Some institutions are getting input from parents, incoming freshmen, and even housekeeping and maintenance crews.
--HOME-LIKE ATMOSPHERE
Private bedrooms and private, or at least semi-private, bathrooms are popular student requests that often get fulfilled. Non-institutional choices for fixtures and other interiors include comfortable furnishings, natural tone walls and furnishings, and tile floors in kitchens and bathrooms. Dishwashers in apartment kitchens are popular, as are separate shower/toilet and vanity areas in bathrooms. Laundry rooms are placed adjacent to lounges, and students of some halls can determine washer/dryer availability by hopping online.
--COMMUNITY-ORIENTED SPACES
Most halls include separate study and social lounges throughout the buildings. Main lounges typically have large flat-screen televisions, and fireplaces are common. Other popular gathering spaces include balconies and patios (often equipped with grills), stairway seating, and landscaped courtyards with benches. Lest we forget that community-building isn't just about space, many of the entries highlighted efforts to create both intimate and larger planned gatherings.
Small Private Institution Winner: WOFFORD COLLEGE (S.C.)
Village Housing Complex
The tranquil front porches with rockers or swings, bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly streets, quaint lampposts, and mature trees of this development exude Southern charm. Yet the 28-building, 276-bed complex is located close to the center of campus, and the team at McMillan Smith & Partners Architects, also in Spartanburg, S.C., designed it as a "new urban" kind of place. With one to four units per building, the furnished apartments include four private bedrooms, two large bathrooms, a kitchen, a dinette area, a living room, and a porch, and are equipped with cable and internet service. The 452-square-foot kitchen-dining-living areas encourage gatherings of other students, teachers, and family members. Outdoor grills and a borrow-a-bike program (which contributes to easy transportation from other parts of campus), spark social calls as well. Village residents also work together, in the upkeep of the bordering public road.
The $12.9 million project was constructed in three phases, the first completed in fall 2006. Phase three of the project, with 13 buildings, will be ready for occupancy this fall-making the complex large enough for the entire senior class. And the future will bring other neighborhood amenities, such as a convenience store, half-court basketball, student meeting areas, and additional spaces requested by students. Already, however, the community is considered a treasured rite of passage for many upperclassmen and has become a word-of-mouth recruiting tool for new students.
Medium Private Institution Winner: COLLEGE OF ST. CATHERINE (Minn.)
Henrietta Schmoll Rauenhorst and Susan Schmid Morrison Halls
In planning these four-story halls, which share a commons area, administrators truly took student feedback to heart. Besides participating in The Association of College and University Housing Officers-International's 21st Century Project on designing future-focused residential facilities, residence life staff invited students to fill out surveys, participate in focus groups, and later vote on furniture options. Two students also sat on the design committee. Student suggestions led to WiFi access and separate study and social lounges, as well as a mix of apartments and suites featuring bathrooms with separate shower room, lavatory, and two sinks (so all four residents of each unit could use facilities at the same time). The use of 26 shades of paint helps avoid an institutional feel.
