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Schools Focus on Residence Halls in Effort to ‘Keep Up with the Joneses’

Exterior shot of a Boston College undergraduate residence hall renovated by Shawmut Design and Construction.

Although prospective students most often choose a school based on its academic standing, residence halls – where college students spend the majority of their time – can often be a significant influencer. Keenly aware of the importance of dormitories in the college selection process, schools are upgrading residence halls to ‘keep up with the Joneses’ and meet the current quality of life standards set by competitors in order to lure prospective students.

In addition, the state of the economy and increased safety awareness are driving trends in residence hall construction as colleges and universities continue to request more efficient construction methods and life safety upgrades.

Dorm Sweet Dorm

Gone are the days of simple dormitories viewed merely as a roof to put over students’ heads. Focused on an improved quality of life, colleges and universities are in competition to offer a variety of amenities to make residence halls feel more like home.

To provide privacy while also creating a group environment, many colleges and universities are building large suites with common areas, which feature additional windows for more natural light and views, and apartment-like conveniences such as kitchenettes with stoves and refrigerators. Riding the technology wave, schools now request as many as five data ports for Internet hook-up in every room, as well as a cable TV port, putting similar emphasis on these amenities as they do on the need for multiple electric outlets and telephone jacks. It is only a matter of time until wireless Internet access becomes the norm for dormitory rooms.

As colleges and universities compete for students, many schools are upgrading residence halls with quality study and gathering rooms featuring comfortable furniture, data access, natural light and connection to the outside.

Quality study and gathering rooms, which feature comfortable furniture, data access, natural light and connection to the outside are also top priority for new and upgraded residence halls. Additionally, a trend that points to schools’ desire to increase quality of life standards is occurring at on-campus dining facilities, which are now more like restaurants in terms of food choice and atmosphere than traditional school cafeterias.

Saving Time and the Environment

With the economy showing signs of recovery and fundraising dollars making a comeback, many colleges and universities are now moving forward on residence hall projects that may have been delayed due to lack of funding. To make up for lost time – and complete these projects before the competition – design/build residence hall projects are on the upswing. Because only one firm drives the process, colleges and universities are attracted to the streamlining effect of the design/build process, providing school officials with a one-stop shopping experience.

Shawmut Design and Construction and Baker Design Group Inc. built a new study room for an undergraduate Boston College residence hall with floor-to-ceiling windows and glass doors to provide an abundance of natural light, as well as access to an outdoor meeting area.

In addition to saving time, schools are also focused on saving the environment and sustainable design. Due to the high-cost of attaining LEED certification for a residence hall, however, many colleges and universities opt to achieve more of a "practical green" status, which only involves cost-efficient "green" practices. Such efforts, which do not incur large premiums, include construction recycling, reusing materials, indoor air quality, and adding windows to provide natural light.

Safety First

With an increased awareness of safety issues in residence halls due to recent highly publicized dormitory fires and other similar tragedies, many college and universities are pouring funds into life safety upgrades now more than ever. Bringing fire safety systems and emergency egress up to code is of utmost importance to colleges and universities, in order to create a safe environment for students and build trust among parents.

As always, competition drives change and innovation and this is more than evident at school residence halls across the country. With an eye toward an improving economy, building teams can expect even greater strides toward quality of life upgrades, especially by way of technology, as well as "greener" dormitories.

Lee Dellicker is vice president of the institutional group at Shawmut Design and Construction, a $350 million construction management company located in Boston, with expertise in campus construction for independent schools, colleges and universities. The company was named the 20th largest construction manager for educational projects in the U.S. by ENR. He can be reached at (617) 622-7000.