IU to build new residence hall

A new residence hall will be built between Willkie Quad and Read Center.

IU was selected to be the host site for the 21st Century Project. The project, sponsored by the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International, is focused on revitalizing college residence halls by making them more than just a place for students to sleep.

“Universities had to submit an application to act as the host site for the 21st Century Project and had to be in a position for building in the future,” said Patrick Connor, executive director of Residential Programs and Services. “We were chosen along with Baylor University and Colorado College, three different types of schools.”

The four main components of the project are community, technology, flexibility and sustainability, Connor said.

“We are trying to build this residence hall better than what we’ve done before,” Connor said. “All the others were done in the ’60s where there was already an existing framework for how to build. We want to create an environment for students to get to know each other with spaces for studying and socializing.”

The new residence hall will contain 450 beds, making it the smallest residence hall on campus, Connor said
“If you go to other universities and read all the research, the days of Twin Tower residence halls are over because it’s hard to build community and make new friends,” Connor said.
He used Collins Living-Learning Center as an example of a successful small residence hall. The main building houses 350 residents and the whole center houses 500 students.

“It is very intimate at Collins, and students feel like they want to come back every year,” he said.

Even with a smaller residence hall, overflow housing will not likely be an issue, said Sara Ivey-Lucas, RPS assistant director of assignments.
“This set-up will get us back to the same number of beds as before Briscoe was under renovation,” Ivey Lucas said. “Depending on how students adjust to other changes we made like making four-people rooms in Eigenmann might be able to create enough beds without
overflow housing.”
Within the residence hall, there will be a variety of room types so that students can stay in the same building for many years and to offer flexibility and privacy, Connor said.
In keeping with the theme of the 21st Century Project, sustainability will also be a main component of this residence hall.

“We are looking into how to make the building systems more eco-friendly by collecting rain water or reusing grey water,” Connor said. “We want to find what issues resonate for students on this campus and address these issues.”

Connor said he is still collecting student reactions to different dorm types and various amenities to find what they are most interested in.

Residence Halls Association President and Senior Katie Lambert said she appreciates RPS’ interest in involving students in the planning process.

“I was surprised that they are really involving the students,” Lambert said. “We attended a housing summit and a meeting with the architects, and they are trying to get the student voice to know what’s needed.”

The building will open for residents in fall 2013.

“I’m excited about what’s going to happen,” Ivey Lucas said. “I think it’s a challenge for those on the IU campus that have been here a while to get out of traditions. We are finding what we do to make things new, different and innovative.”