New residence halls approved for construction start at Grinnell College
GRINNELL, Iowa -The Grinnell College trustees have approved the addition of four new residence halls at the College, with construction scheduled to start April 2002. Designed by the architectural firm William Rawn Associates, Architects, Inc., of Boston, Mass., the buildings are expected to be completed by August 2003 with occupancy for the fall semester.
"Student residential life is a crucial ingredient in the Grinnell experience," said Russell K. Osgood, president of the College. "Students learn to live with others of diverse backgrounds in a closely-knit community. That is, residence halls promote a sense of community and the new halls have been designed with that in mind."
According to Osgood, Grinnell College also has a responsibility to maintain the historic beauty of the campus.
"The construction of the new residence halls will enhance our beautiful campus," he said.
The halls will frame the East portion of campus between 8th and 10th avenues and will face East Street.
Each residence hall will consist of from 22 to 25 beds per floor, a lounge and/or study area on each floor, and ground floor public spaces are designed to encourage interaction among the students, said Douglas C. Johnston, principal with William Rawn Associates.
Constructed of Iowa limestone, the buildings will be connected with a roofed loggia, and framed by an existing grove of trees and a new garden area. The residence halls are designed to create a sense of continuity and diversity along the street (East Street) and to provide strong connections between the campus and local community.
"To design any new set of buildings on a strong historic campus such as Grinnell College is always a challenge," Johnston said. "The new residence halls will complete the residential perimeter and define a new boundary at the northeastern end of the campus."
Founded in 1983, William Rawn Associates has worked on a number of residential projects for colleges and universities.
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