JEREMY BITTERMAN (3)
planning process” for the new dorms, says Philip Chen, principal architect on the project for Ann Beha Architects. Beha surveyed students about their housing experiences and preferences at the beginning of planning, Chen says. Eighty-four percent of respondents ranked “living with friends” as the first or second consideration in making their housing choices. “So we knew that building community was a key goal for this project.” Diverse furniture is one approach to healthy residential life, but it’s not the only one. Here’s a closer look at interior design concepts that Bates and Beha emphasized at Kalperis and Chu.
Campus Crossroads The boldest stroke of social engineering in the new dorms was the relocation of the College Store and Post & Print (the former Office Services) to the first floor of Kalperis Hall, adjacent to a welcoming lobby with mixed seating and a fireplace. This arrangement echoes a national trend on residential campuses, says architect Chen: “vertical housing” that integrates ground-floor retail space with housing above. In Bates’ case, he notes, “the rise of online shopping has made packaging and postal services a primary campus function.” Now a state-of-the-art handling center for the ava-
Spring 2017
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