The North and South wings were built in the early 1970s as a series of double rooms strung out along concrete block, double loaded corridors. Each floor of each wing was noisy, dark, and impersonal. Scott Simons Architects planned the new addition in the center of the north and south wings, dividing them into smaller neighborhoods of 20-25 students each. Instead of three wings with 40 students each per wing, the new dormitory has five neighborhoods per floor with 20-25 students per neighborhood. The result is a much more intimate, quieter, and more friendly living environment for the students. In addition, SSA planned the top floor as a series of senior single rooms, with large expanses of glass overlooking the quadrangles, common study rooms, and semi-private bathrooms.

The new wing is sited to create two landscaped quadrangle spaces. The first is the east quadrangle, surrounded on all sides by dormitory rooms. All students must walk through this quadrangle to get to the new entrances in the corners of the new wing. The west quadrangle is larger and overlooks the fields along the river to the west of the dormitory. Construction was completed in two phases in 2001 and 2002, on time and under budget.

Partners:

Structural: Becker Structural Engineers

Mechanical: Neill and Gunter

Contractor: Payton Construction

Cost Estimation: Conestco

Specifications: Keith Lowell

Photography: Brian Vanden Brink