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Residential Life officials are hoping the newly renovated Graham Residential Complex will draw national attention to the University. The complex will house a residential college designed to promote a sense of belonging to a small community while promoting academics.
The buildings' construction is on schedule with the time line established with the contractor and they are expected to be completed this fall. Students will not be allowed to move into the two halls until January 2008.
Mimi Lavalle, communications manager, said the total cost for the construction of the first two buildings is about $33 million. Funding for the construction project came from the University's sale of revenue bonds. The debt service will be paid back through Residential Life over the next 30 years with annual installments of approximately $2 million. This money is supplemented by student dorm fees and conference housing.
Some new features that the dormitories have are soundproof music rooms, kitchens with two stoves for students to cook together, outdoor study areas and libraries in the building that overlook courtyards.
The new dormitories also feature study lounges on every floor in order for students to have a place to gather.
"One of the things LSU has always lacked in its housing inventory are study lounges or social lounges on each floor," Residential Life Director Debora Schulze said. "You want to build community among the people, and you need to have a space that they can call their own."
One of the buildings included in the complex has not yet undergone construction.
The completed complex will house both the engineering and business residential colleges. The first building will hold 180 students for engineering, and the second building will hold 200 students for business. The names of the halls have not yet been determined.
Each hall will have four floors with suite-style rooms in which two rooms share one bathroom. The rooms will also have sinks within the room and moveable furniture. The courtyards from each hall will connect to a central courtyard with the concept of creating an academic neighborhood.
One of the architects for the project, Mike Evans, said residential colleges are an emerging trend at public universities.
"With the new Graham colleges, LSU will be a leader in reconceptualizing the undergraduate experience into a more community-based, smaller scale, living and learning residential facility with academic connections that enhance the prospect of student academic success," said Evans, who works for Hanbury, Evans, Wright and Vlattas.
The buildings are anticipated to hold residential college students specifically targeted towards business and engineering, but if the halls do not fill up nonresidential college students will be assigned to the Graham complex.
With the completion of the Graham construction, the University will have five Residential college programs to offer to prospective students for fall 2007.
By 2008, the Agriculture Residential College will be added to Blake Hall, which is currently undergoing construction. After the addition of agriculture, the University will offer six different residential college programs.
Graham Hall
Blake Hall
Laville Honors College
Laville Honors College----- Contact Philip Trascher at ptrascher@lsureveille.com
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