Edited and posted by Jenny Mischler, COM 303
Berry College will break new ground on two new residence halls in the fall of 2008, with an expected opening date of fall 2009.
The residence halls, which will be located behind the Ladd Center in the Emery Barns Complex and will house 350 people, are part of a concerted effort to build community and increase the percentage of residential students to 85 percent.
The buildings, which have been designed to serve mostly sophomores and juniors, are part of a plan that will eventually add almost 1000 new beds to Berry College over the next six to eight years. During the first three years of occupancy, they will also serve to house displaced male students as renovations are being made to Dana Hall.
Photo courtesy of Berry College
The Emery Barns are now used for storing supplies and
equipment used by the animal science and horticultural areas.
Debbie Heida, vice president of student affairs and dean of students, is on the committee that is organizing and planning the construction of the buildings. She stressed that the biggest purpose of the new buildings is to build a feeling of unity.
"I do have one very important request," she said. "And that is that they [the buildings] be called residence halls and not dorms. Because that is what we are trying to create here--a sense of community."
What will this look like?
To accomplish this, the designers have incorporated a variety of unifying elements into the buildings. The number of people on each hall will be much smaller--approximately 20 students on each floor, as opposed to the average of 50 students in other dorms on campus. In addition, there will be large lobbies on the ground floor of every hall, as well as recreational rooms that will have games such as ping-pong and pool tables.
Also, the structures will have community-style, not individual, bathrooms. The bathrooms will also feature more amenities, like electrical outlets, storage areas for personal items and changing areas adjacent to the showers.
Although nothing has been finalized yet, the committee is considering building outdoor features such as fireplaces, hammocks and patios.
The residence halls--which will have wireless Internet throughout--will be a mix of about 70 percent double-occupancy rooms and 30 percent single-occupancy rooms. They have been designed as "swing space"; that is, any hall can potentially be male or female. However, Heida stressed that they will not really be coed dorms; like in New Residence Hall, there will be key card swipes at the entrance to every floor.
"It's not like we're just putting everyone together," Heida said.
Estimated Cost
Although the projected cost is millions of dollars, both Heida and Brian Erb, the vice president of finance, emphasized that the extra cost should not affect the price of attending Berry College.
"The projected cost is approximately $28 million to $29 million, to be funded by the college issuing tax exempt bonds, which will be repaid over 30 years from the room revenues of the building occupants," said Erb. "This will not impact tuition rates."
The price of the new rooms are expected to be closer to that of traditional residence halls, such as Dana and Morton Halls, than that of alternative housing. Although the rooms will probably be a little more expensive--especially the singles--the fact that the buildings will not have individual bathrooms or kitchens will keep the prices lower.
Lindsey Taylor, coordinator of residence life, is also on the committee that is overseeing the new facilities. She said that, although the final aesthetic details have not yet been decided yet, they are sure of the sort of feel that they are going for.
"We're not sure yet about the facade and things like that--you know it's the finishes that really make a building," said Taylor. "But it will be warm and welcoming. I'm really excited about the buildings--it'll give students another option."
Student Reactions
Jennifer Parr, a junior resident assistant in Lemley Hall, said that she has high hopes for the new residence halls.
"I think the new dorms will be great," said Parr. "It's a burst of energy that will give upperclassmen more choices. A lot of the RAs are really excited about working there. It's a good layout, and it's something new and different from the other dorms."
Other students' reactions to the plans for the new buildings were varied.
"That sounds really cool," said Chris Crichton, a freshmen at Berry College. "Especially since dorms like the Townhouses are kinda musty."
However, not all reactions were quite as enthusiastic.
"It sounds like a church camp to me," said Carlos Sanchez, also a freshmen, in reference to the description of the possible outside amenities.
The new buildings are the beginning of many new upcoming plans for residence halls. Heida said that changes are also being considered for the Ford complex, Mountain Campus and Townhouse area. However, none of these plans are in the pipeline yet; currently, only the plans for the buildings behind the Ladd Center are concrete.
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