Henneberry Eddy Designs $1.1 Million Makeover

PORTLAND, Ore. — The $1.1 million renovation of a mid-century residence hall at Lewis & Clark College has breathed new life into a building that was once the least desirable hall on campus.

The 52-room, 1950s-era Charles Howard Residence Hall was struggling to compete with modern on-campus housing due to outdated student rooms and a lack of proper support systems, including communications capability and life-safety features.

College officials were growing concerned with the number of students who listed the hall as their first choice of residence: as few as five to 10 students each year were requesting to live in the building.

The hall was designed to house 90 students, in a combination of double- and single-bed rooms. Double rooms were split into study and sleeping spaces. Sleeping rooms were so small that standard issue bunk beds prevented the doors from fully opening.

Living quarters lacked adequate power, Internet access, controllable heating and fire protection. In addition, prospective students were often dissuaded by the color schemes, finishes and fixed-in-place furniture, officials say.

To curb waning student interest, officials commissioned Hennebery Eddy Architects, of Portland, in 2006 to renovate the hall, in the hopes that it would increase the building’s appeal and encourage a sense of community.

The recently renovated Charles Howard Residence Hall houses 90 students.

College officials wanted the renovation to start in spring 2007, when students moved out, and be completed by fall 2007, in time for the new school year. To accommodate the fast-paced schedule, Hennebery Eddy worked with the school early in the planning phase to develop three full-scale room prototypes that could test project logistics and eliminate any potential obstacles that might throw the project off schedule. The prototypes allowed for a high level of feedback from students and campus officials, quickly cementing the school’s vision for an appropriate student living space. Funding for the project was secured shortly after the prototype stage.

The result of the model living spaces was a more open, flexible room with free-standing furniture, modern finishes and improved support systems. Architects removed the undersized sleeping rooms, added movable components, such as dressers and desks, and installed solid wood windowsills to complement the maple finish of the new furniture.

Electrical panels were upgraded to include a dedicated circuit to each room. Units received new light fixtures, a rewired phone system and cable TV and Internet access.

An energy-efficient radiant heat system replaced the centrally controlled fin-tube radiator system, providing individual temperature control in each unit for the first time. A new fire protection system was also incorporated throughout the building.

Renovation work started as scheduled the day students moved out in spring 2007 and lasted about 90 days. The improvements to Howard Hall, which houses 90 students, have dramatically increased student interest, officials say. Demand for rooms now exceeds availability. Of the 90 students who lived in the hall during the 2005-06 school year, 68 requested rooms in Howard for 2006-07.