Which Way Did They Go?

I’m Their Leader!

Norm Myers University of Oregon Housing

Building a Living-Learning Center

Planning, Concerns, and Problems

Our Current situation•The most recently completed residence hall in the central part of campus was completed in 1963.

•Other residence halls in the central part of campus were built between 1950 and 1962.

•Our standard residence hall double room is 150 square feet.

•Our residence halls have recently been associated with the “D” word!

•We house around 3200 students and approximately 16% of the student body in our residence halls

•First year students make up most of our residence hall population.

Walton Complex

What To Do Renovate? - Cost

Build New? - Land

Demolish Old and Replace? - Beds

Some Combination of the Above? - All

What Type of Housing to Build? Apartments

Suites

Residence Hall Rooms

“We found a separation between academic and social life on campus. Colleges like to speak of the campus as a community, and yet what is being learned in most residence halls today has little connection to the classroom.”

“Halls with the strongest impact on cognitive development and persistence are typically the result of purposeful, programmatic efforts to integrate students’ intellectual and social lives during college – living learning centers are not only a neat idea, they actually work!”

Pascarella and Terrenzini (How College Affects Students, 1994)

“On an unprecedented scale, U.S. colleges and universities are examining the quality of their residential facilities. What have they found? A need to improve not only the conditions of their residence halls, but also what the facilities offer to support the mission of education. As a result, residence halls – once some of the simplest buildings on campus – are becoming some of the richest and most complex in scope and purpose.”

Godshall (2000)

Long-Range Plan• Mission

– Invigorate the residential nature of the University of Oregon by updating older residence halls and building a Living-Learning Center. Currently, the outdated residence halls at the UO are having a negative effect on enrollment and student retention.

Long-Range Plan• Phase One

– Construction of the new Living-Learning Center has begun and will house its first occupants in fall of 2006.

– In addition to bringing together the residential and academic experiences of students under one roof, this building will provide the necessary space to begin the second phase.

• Phase Two (includes several phases over long period of time)

– Replace or renovate existing residence halls. – The plan is extremely flexible, allowing for changes in student

and administrative needs, however currently thinking is that the Walton Complex would be first in line, followed by the Hamilton Complex.

What is the Living-Learning Center?

The first new residence hall on the UO campus since the 1960's.

Integrates spaces for academic classes, study groups, faculty advising, musical and theatrical performances, dining, and living.

A hub of social and intellectual interaction for neighboring buildings, complimenting them architecturally as well as academically and socially.

Living-Learning CenterGoals: Engage the student in the intellectual life of the

university as early as possible

Build more on-campus housing

Set the stage for the next phase of modernizing existing facilities

Financing• University Housing is a self-supported auxiliary

enterprise of the university. • Project will support and enhance the goals of the

entire university. • University Housing has Legislative Authority for

bonding up to $27 million. Bonds will be sold and debt service, as well as annual operating expenses, will be paid solely from residence hall room and board income.

• Additional Costs for a LLC over a Residence Hall because of the value we feel it adds.

• Donor opportunities.

D

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AA

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E

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F

H

L

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B BG

G GJ N

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Site Selection Green Space, Population Density, & 4 story limit

Location Dictates Residence Hall versus Living Learning Center

• LLC needed to be close to campus center• Residence Hall if site was remote• Top locations only 3 blocks from each other

Green Demolition• During demolition, trees were used for lumber,

poles, and firewood. Two to three trees will be replanted for every tree removed. Concrete from handball courts will go to build a dike at Delta gravel pit, soil will be used for fill on other sites, and premium soil will be used for fill on LLC building. Asphalt will be recycled into new asphalt, steel will be sent to salvage instead of a landfill, and fencing will be re-used.

Concerns:

Green-Building • To reduce energy costs, the buildings will allow

natural light in through banks of windows and glassed-in common areas, and will keep heat out with shading via overhangs on the south and west sides of the buildings.

• Natural cross ventilation will be used instead of expensive and inefficient mechanical methods.

• Many other eco-friendly elements are being implemented in the final design.

Effect on Current Residents• There is likely to be noise and other disturbances

throughout the year. • Construction noise can be expected weekdays

between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. • A special study lounge for residents of Earl and

west Walton has been designated near the Carson lobby.

• University Housing will communicate often with students, faculty, staff, and parents about the status of construction.

• Earplugs available at the Carson area desk.

Phones – possible Cell internet options

Wired- How much and what to use

Wireless – Coverage, security

Technology:

•Site preparation began on July 22, 2004, completed by early October.

•Site preparation included the excavation of concrete, soil, and hard rock in addition to preliminary infrastructure.

Site Preparation

•Contractor bidding starts November 1, 2004. •Construction to begin in January/February 2005.•Construction completed by August 2006.

Construction Phase

Design Concepts• Two four-story buildings connected by a new

campus open space. Both buildings have common use areas on the ground floor including auditorium, classroom, lobby, and cafe spaces. The upper three floors house the residence hall rooms, restrooms, and common areas.

• Predominantly brick on the exterior broken up by windows and stair towers, which will allow light and ventilation. The cafe, performance/multipurpose space, and circulation spaces will be transparent. Activities within will easily be seen from adjacent pedestrian paths.

The Design ProcessConcept Options

The PlanMajor public spaces

• Lobbies

• Area desk

• Classrooms

• Café

• Performance

• Porch

Cafe

Classrooms

Area Desk

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by

Porch

Performance

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Building Features• 1 Academic Lobby, 1530 sq ft• 1 Auditorium, 2744 sq ft (182 seats)• 2 Lecture Halls, 880 sq ft (44 seats ea)• 2 Meeting Rooms, 200 sq ft (10 seats ea)• 2 Faculty/Advising/Conference, 90 sq ft• 1 Mail Desk, 923 sq ft• 1 Living Room, 657 sq ft• 3 Study Rooms, 85 sq ft• 1 Cafe, 5000 sq ft• 5 Secure Bike Parking, 45 bikes ea• 185 Resident Rooms (double), 225 sq ft• 13 Resident Rooms (single), 145 sq ft

• 383 Beds (total)

Evaluate your situation

Work within and around restrictions

Keep flexible and include extra time when scheduling

I’ll let you know how well it works for us after we open

Summary:

Which Way did they Go?I’m their Leader!

Norm Myers nmyers@uoregon.edu

http://resnet.uoregon.edu/~nmyers