Langston Hall may lose its ubiquitous designation “North” next year as the College begins work on new housing facilities just across Union St.

The purpose of the new dorms, according to Ron Watts, Financial Vice President, is to increase interaction between upperclassmen and underclassmen.
“Oberlin College is designed to be a residential college,” he said.
Approximately 800-900 students are living off campus this year. The new dorms are designed to make students want to stay on campus by offering them large, appealing housing.

“Juniors and seniors generally move off campus and don’t come in much contact with the rest of the student body. One of the goals here is to increase interaction amongst the campus,” said Watts. “It’s planned to be a more senior level dorm. We haven’t built a new dorm since 1963. Last year, rooms in Firelands were the most highly demanded in Oberlin. These should be nicer. The new dorms will look like con
temporary condo apartments.”

Oberlin’s Architect Joe Ferut, designer of the new townhouse-style dorms, incorporated as many “green” features as was economically feasible during the planning stages of the construction. “

We designed the buildings as tightly as we could in order to conserve heat and energy,” said Ferut’s assistant Lee Goodman.

While the designs may not be as innovative as the Lewis Environmental Studies Center, details such as extra caulking in the joints, aluminum clad windows and thick linoleum floors will keep the buildings from using extra heating energy during the winter.

Financed entirely by state bonds issued by the College last September, this is only the first phase of construction. The goal, according to Watts, is to add 300 beds to the dormitory system.

Only 132 beds are planned in the new dorms. Planning for the other 168 will take place this coming year. Focus groups composed of students and townspeople will help design the next campus housing.

The goal is not to build more townhouse-style dorms. A wide variety of College housing will hopefully appeal to as many upperclassmen as possible.

The Union St. dorms are estimated to be completed August 2005, in time for orientation next year. Normally off limits, tours of the construction site are planned later this year, once the building has gotten underway.