Residence Halls & apartments

[wh]

Looks very impressive in person.  Has an upscale appearance with great lines and character. A beautiful complement to the other upscale housing along LaPorte Av.

[valpotx]

Looks pretty cool.  What is the middle section that looks detached from the rest of the building?  A grandiose entrance?

[wh]

Hopefully, the new residence hall will bump up the current C+ campus housing grade:

http://colleges.niche.com/valparaiso-university/campus-housing/

It's interesting to read students' comments.

[valpotx]

I would agree with the comments, but believe that today's college student expects a dorm of hotel quality, because they are spoiled rotten kids 

[govalpogo]

A "rough tour" of the new building is posted on Res Life's Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=694523343911889&set=vb.216748738356021&type=2&theater

[sfnmman]

Here's an updated photo of the dorm construction:

   facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=694029913961232&set=pcb.694030907294466&type=1&theater

[okinawatyphoon]

sfnmman, I already posted those. Hopefully the construction is moving along nicely!

[sfnmman]

okinawatyphoon, what you posted was a link to the architectural rendering of a "tour" of the new dorm.  What I posted was a partial link (minus the standard http,etc., couldn't do the entire link) of a photograph of the actual construction posted about 1 week ago.  There was no intent to duplicate your posting.

[wh]

okinawatyphoon, what you posted was a link to the architectural rendering of a "tour" of the new dorm.  What I posted was a partial link (minus the standard http,etc., couldn't do the entire link) of a photograph of the actual construction posted about 1 week ago.  There was no intent to duplicate your posting.

Thanks for sharing and welcome to the board!

[78crusader]

Several posters have mentioned that at a recent function in Dallas, President Heckler mentioned that construction on the second new dorm would begin as soon as the first new dorm is finished and occupied.  This is a dumb question, but where will the second new dorm be placed? 

Paul

[vu72]

Not dumb at all. He didn't say. My guess, and that's all it is, is that one of the existing dorms will be torn down and replaced(bigger). If that happens it should be Alumni or one of the others without airconditioning.

[78crusader]

That was my guess also, but can they afford to lose the an entire dorm for a whole school year?  I thought I heard that occupancy was at 95% in the residence halls this past year.  If one is torn down, without a replacement ready to go for one year, it seems like housing will be very tight.  Not to mention the disruption caused by building a dorm right next to Lankenau and Brandt.

paul

[vu72]

Ill take a look at the Master Pln to see if something else makes sense.

[historyman]

With the building of the new dorm (is it called Beacon?) doesn't that add the space needed for students that would have been in the dorm that will be torn down? I don't see where the university is losing any dorm space since they are currently building a new dorm without tearing down an existing dorm. Did I miss something?

You do realize that there is a new dorm being built near the tennis courts and LaPorte Ave across from Scheele/Lankanau at the current time without tearing down any of the current dorms?

http://www.valpotorch.com/news/article_7d86ca38-1720-11e3-ad18-0019bb30f31a.html

ResLife expands into modern construction

It is being built on the corner of La Porte Avenue and University Drive, where the Health Center was previously located. The new hall is expected to be completed by July 2014, and will hold up to 300 students.

[vu72]

With the building of the new dorm (is it called Beacon?) dorm. Did I miss someth doesn't that add the space needed for students that would have been in the dorm that will be torn down? I don't see where the university is losing any dorm space since they are currently building a new dorm without tearing down an existinging?

You do realize that there is a new dorm being built near the tennis courts and LaPorte Ave across from Scheele/Lankanau at the current time without tearing down any of the current dorms?

http://www.valpotorch.com/news/article_7d86ca38-1720-11e3-ad18-0019bb30f31a.html

ResLife expands into modern construction

It is being built on the corner of La Porte Avenue and University Drive, where the Health Center was previously located. The new hall is expected to be completed by July 2014, and will hold up to 300 students.

Well you kinda missed something in that we had kids sleeping in dorm lounges to start last year and will be adding additional students this fall.  The new form will temporarily solve the problem but an additional dorm will be needed soon. If we are enar capacity with the new dorm then tearing one down to replace it will put a real squeeze on space until the new one is completed--if, that is the plan.

[vu72]

OK, I just looked at the Master Plan and the only new dorm is Beacon Hall, currently under construction.  All the dorms will be essentially where they are now, labeled "renovation/reconstruction".  I suppose they could do an addition to say, Alumni and when the addition was done you could begin reconstructing the old part.  Should be interesting.

[ml2]

I do not have any inside information on this, but based on my reading of the publicly released master plan
http://www.valpo.edu/masterplan/assets/docs/VU%20MP%20Exec%20Summary_final.pdf
I believe a new dorm will be constructed south of Memorial-Guild, roughly where the old Linwood Apartments used to be.

[vu72]

Great catch ml2, I missed that site when reviewing the Master Plan.  Thanks!!

[valpotx]

Vu72, Heckler did say that they won't be tearing down any of the current dorms to build this other new dorm.  They would renovate and update the older ones, but that it didn't make sense to tear down any existing structures while we are growing the student population

[okinawatyphoon]

Yes, I also read somewhere (but can't remember) that the second dorm will be built by Guild/Memorial.

[historyman]

It is being built on the corner of La Porte Avenue and University Drive, where the Health Center was previously located. The new hall is expected to be completed by July 2014, and will hold up to 300 students.

Well you kinda missed something in that we had kids sleeping in dorm lounges to start last year and will be adding additional students this fall.  The new form will temporarily solve the problem but an additional dorm will be needed soon. If we are enar capacity with the new dorm then tearing one down to replace it will put a real squeeze on space until the new one is completed--if, that is the plan.

I question whether the lounge dorm dwellers and new dorm students will add up to 300 considering many of the new students will be graduate students and foreign students who tend to live off campus but I'm sure anything to avoid putting dorm students in the lounges for even a short period of time should happen. The scenario vu72 and ml2 alluded to makes tearing down a dorm a mute point.

[vu72]

Vu72, Heckler did say that they won't be tearing down any of the current dorms to build this other new dorm.  They would renovate and update the older ones, but that it didn't make sense to tear down any existing structures while we are growing the student population

Sorry, I forgot that he said that.  At some point however, the existing dorms will need to be essentially torn down as the Master Plan envisions all dorms taking on the appearance of Guild/Memorial/Beacon, which will require major/major/major work including enlarging and gutting.  That type of work can't be down over a summer.

[okinawatyphoon]

The university's Facebook page posted this photo update. I like that they are attempting to imitate Guild/Memorial Halls, but so far it appears to be a cheap copy that lacks many of the architectural details of Guild/Memorial. Nonetheless, it's a vast improvement over the current dorms (Lankenau, Scheele, and Brandt).

[VULB#62]

Definitely an upgrade.  Hope the next new dorm (down from G/M (?) will follow this style as well.

[valpotx]

I wouldn't call it 'cheap' lol