6/5/09

Progress on the HILL

A group of institutional advancement employees toured the nearly completed Hurd Integrated Living and Learning facility last week; an Alvin H. Butz, Inc. employee points out lobby and office areas inside the south entrance. Photos by Susan Woolley.

With the brick and stone exterior of the Hurd Integrated Living and Learning (HILL) facility now nearly finished, workers have moved indoors to wire, plumb, and install drywall and flooring by July—well before the first student residents arrive in August. The premium, six-story residence already is fully occupied with 231 students for the 2009-10 academic year. "Reactions to the new building have been overwhelmingly positive," said Nicole Lloyd, dean of student life. "Parents, students, and alumni who have toured it have been very excited about the amenities and the concept of integrated living and learning."

After touring the facility, students nearly unanimously rated it a 10, and a room in the HILL was the first to be chosen during room selection for fall. Thirty-one of the fall 2009 residents are first-year students who will live in one of two sixteen-bedroom living/learning suites. Students who live in the sixteen-bedroom suites will participate in group activities and co-curricular learning.

Top: A bridge leads from a parking lot to the north side entrance on the fourth floor. Above: All student residents have private bedrooms.

The Hurd Campus Residence at a Glance:

• 39 suites (with two to sixteen single bedrooms each); common living, study, and kitchen areas. Many rooms have sweeping views of the surrounding area.

•Four state-of-the-art, multi-media learning spaces

•Wireless computer service throughout

•Sustainable design features and practices, such as computerized energy management for individual rooms, light sensors and timers, and sensor faucets

•Sustainable landscape with native plants and watershed management

•Wellness center, cafe (with organic, local food and biodegradable products), laundry

•Interpretive signs that teach about the site's unique history