The bell eventually tolls for even the finest residence hall. No matter how soaring and innovative they appeared to be when first constructed, eventually their initial glory fades. When the hall is evaluated for either demolition or renovation, the first topic of discussion typically centers on the financial aspects of undertaking such a complex project. Considering the cost of updating aging systems, providing accessibility within buildings constructed before current codes, and reconfiguring the building’s layout and technology to create modern spaces and amenities, it’s no wonder that the budgeting decision is generally the starting point.
There are practical reasons for selecting renovation versus building a new hall. When a campus opts to update an older hall – usually located closer to the heart of the campus – it also improves access to campus facilities. However, many times, just beyond the budgets and the brick and mortar resides a priceless gem that has developed over time within an older residence hall. Like the proverbial pearl inside an oyster, a building’s identity, tradition, and legacy should not be overlooked when considering its renovation.
Older residence halls are often steeped in priceless traditions and legacy. An important aspect of any older hall’s renovation is successfully retaining the deep connection that current and former students have with the building and embodying the hall’s historical legacy and rich traditions within its updated design. The significance of a residence hall’s traditions and culture transmitted over time transcends the four-year rotation of the traditional student and cannot be underestimated. The identity of a hall, its spirit and traditions, some of which have been in place for decades, should be preserved as much as possible when renovating as a recruiting tool for new students who long to be a part of its cultural legacy. A hall’s students, housing staff, and former residents can be the greatest source of information when undertaking a renovation and should be consulted during the first steps of any design and decision-making process. Their input will help ensure that a hall’s legacy, defining elements, activities, and traditions are thoroughly understood and represented in the redesign.
Updated spaces in a renovated hall should also give a nod to the building’s identity while providing new infrastructure and amenities that a newer residence hall provides. This can be achieved by simply selecting a traditional color or branding for an accent wall associated with the hall. In other cases it means retaining some of its character-defining features such as a fireplace, piece of furniture, or window that helps to reinforce the hall’s personality. Display cases that highlight the achievements of past residents can also be included in the renovation to serve as a message of encouragement and tradition to the hall’s new inhabitants.
When renovating the exterior of a historic hall, it is important to study the relationship between the renovated building and the nearby residence halls. Outdoor programs and organic activities created between the buildings are important to maintain, as they can impact the larger sense of community among the students. Often the location and maturity of the landscape define these spaces and should be maintained when possible during a renovation.
Renovating and providing competitive, modern amenities within an older residence hall is important to attracting students. But designing to preserve the ready-made community, history, and legacy already present in the hall is priceless.
When The University of Kansas renovated its first residence hall, Corbin Hall, in 2017, much consideration was given to maintaining the history and purpose of the building’s interior. Constructed in 1923, the hall has an occupancy of about 300 women and is traditionally occupied by students who go on to live in sorority houses after the first year. Original fireplaces in three of the four central floor lounges were kept intact to maintain the hall’s historic character, and a large sofa that has consistently resided in the building’s main lounge kept its place in the redesign as an important element of the building’s personality. The renovation also used different accent paints from historical paint collections for each floor to help establish community identity and provide information needed for wayfinding. Designers also made sure to give a nod to the building’s history by matching finishes where they could, such as selecting wood species and stains that tied back to the main lounge’s original woodwork.
The hall represents a deep tradition for several generations of residents, who used to sign their name and the sorority they were planning to join on the side of each entry door to the bedroom. Signatures from several generations of the same family can be seen on the same door, with requests from new students in the family to make that room their new home. Though the room numbering changed during the renovation, the housing staff kept a list of the old numbers related to the new numbers so that students could reside in this room and continue the important family tradition.
Kansas State University is undertaking a $32 million renovation of its historic Strong Community, which includes three residence halls: Boyd (built in 1951), Putnam (built in 1952), and Van Zile (built in 1926). The renovations include improvements and upgrades to student rooms, restrooms, community spaces, utilities, and technology, as well as updated dining and retail space. Much care is being taken to ensure that the individual, character-defining aspects and traditions of each building are not lost to the renovation process.
A majority of students surveyed at the beginning of the design process stated that they wanted to keep the grand living rooms in each residence hall, including long tables in the dining centers, and to maintain the beloved outdoor community space formed by the juxtaposition of the three halls. “The students were really engaged in what they wanted the halls’ renovations to look like. We talked about how students could not only build on the existing culture, but also create new traditions that coincide with the renovations,” says Derek Jackson, associate vice president of community building and the director of housing and dining services. “Van Zile Hall is going to be 100 years old in 2026; that’s 100 years of students living in that space, making it their home, plus K State is an older university, more than 150 years old. Decades of generations of students have called these halls home, so a large portion of the renovation process was determining not only how to honor that human investment over the decades, but also to build on it.”
Plans are in the works to create a new honors floor in Boyd Hall that recognizes the academic tradition of past and present residents, which include several Rhodes Scholars and Truman Scholars. Students will also be encouraged to create new traditions in the renovated halls by custom-designing crests for each floor.
In 2019, the University of Minnesota’s 90-year-old Pioneer Hall re-opened its doors to incoming first-year students following a much needed expansion and renovation. Located at the southwest quadrant of the main residential neighborhood, the hall was the on-campus home to many generations of students and holds a special place in the collective history of the university. First opened in the early 1930s, the hall was the university’s first dormitory for men, but after many decades of service, it was no longer meeting the needs of today’s students. A significant amount of the historic hall’s interior was demolished for the renovation, with much emphasis placed on preserving the structure’s Georgian Revival-style exterior.
Generations of students have lived in Pioneer Hall and have fond memories associated with the building and the university. An important aspect of the renovation design was to respect the historical character of the original building and maintain a connection to the original hall. Although the building had physical and functional deficiencies, it also had many traditional qualities and character-defining features, including C-shaped four-story wings, slate roofs, window fenestrations, and round-arched passageways, which became important elements in the hall’s redesign and helped to maintain the hall’s legacy on campus.
The new spaces in renovations can have a tremendous impact on the flow and continuity of residential programs; the relocation of new study rooms or floor lounges can affect the dynamics of communities that have been created and maintained over time over generations. Renovating and providing competitive, modern amenities within an older residence hall is important to attracting students. But designing to preserve the ready-made community, history, and legacy already present in the hall is priceless.
Javier Esteban is a principal at KWK Architects.
