Despite wet paint and missing lounge furniture, Hitchcock Hall opened to student residents this week after a renovation that cost $10.8 million and took over a year and half to complete. The renovation aimed to modernize the dormitory and make it more environmentally sustainable, Dean of Residential Life Martin Redman said.
The building, constructed in 1914, was selected for renovation primarily because it contained asbestos and lead paint, Redman said. The heating and insulation systems were outdated, he added, and the residence hall had been operating over capacity for several years.
Through the installment of an elevator, the College made the dormitory entirely wheelchair accessible. The renovation also saw the addition of single occupancy bathrooms, a decrease in the number of beds from 108 to 86 through the creation of more single rooms and left several rooms without carpeting.
The Office of Residential Life decided to keep some of the original architecture, including the entire exterior structure of the dormitory and an antique railing that lines the second floor common room. Opportunities to increase the building's environmental efficiency were limited because ORL did not want to alter Hitchcock's fundamental structure, Redman said. As a result, it was impossible to add a thermal well or floor heating to Hitchcock.
Despite these limitations, ORL was able to reduce the building's environmental impact in other ways, specifically through the installation of a new hot water system and added insulation. In addition, the College installed wall-mounted heating units and thermostats in each room, which give students the ability to regulate the temperature.
Reactions to the new climate system have been mixed, as several students have complained that the building is overheated. Jason Lyon '10 said the temperature in his room has increased steadily since his arrival, despite his frequent attempts to lower it.
Though all major construction on the building is complete, final repairs and touch-ups will not be finished until the summer in order to minimize inconvenience to students already living in the dormitory, Redman said.
Current Hitchcock residents do not seem bothered by the ongoing work.
"Everything that's been installed works fine," Chase Decker '10 said. "I'd rather live here while its still under construction than have to move in mid-term."
Overall, students have reacted positively to the changes.
"It looks really nice and really modern," Amma Bofa '09 said, adding that she enjoys using the new elevator.
Lyon said he appreciated the increase in both singles and communal spaces, which he said gives him space to hang out with his friends, as well as privacy when he wants it.
Former residents are ambivalent about the changes, acknowledging that it was important to renovate the building, especially to remove the hazardous materials, but said they do not appreciate the loss of the original detailing and woodwork.
Katie Dutko '09 described the new building as "a ruin from a temple to mixed-class housing" upon seeing the inside dormitory for the first time since she lived there freshman year.
ORL has begun its next major project, a similar overhaul of New Hampshire Hall, which is expected to reopen in spring 2009.
