High-rise gets a makeover this summer in 92-day renovation
Janel Shoun-Smith |
Lipscomb's primary men's residence hall gets an "extreme dorm makeover" this summer
This summer, Lipscomb University is carrying out another “extreme dorm makeover” – a 92-day, intensive, around-the-clock renovation – this time on the eight-story men’s High Rise residence hall.
The 80,000-square-foot and more than 45-year-old residence hall, located on the southeast side of campus and visible from Granny White Pike, is now undergoing a lobby redesign; upgraded HVAC system; new lighting, power and plumbing; the addition of common areas on upper floors and new finishes and furnishings throughout, including dorm rooms, restrooms, lobbies and corridors.
Specific goals are to upgrade the restrooms and showers through a complete gut and rebuild and to add community spaces to enhance the student living experience, said Sam Smith, dean of student life.
“Our goal with this ambitious project is to create living space that is competitive with the newer residence halls other schools offer,” Smith said. “This is a legendary building that has housed thousands of Lipscomb men and is home to many wonderful stories and memories. But it is time for a new look, feel and function. From top to bottom, the men will have the latest in living amenities and furniture plus a new emphasis on better arranged and furnished community space, offering study and social options that will create new stories and memories for years to come.”
This is the third time in recent years that the university has undertaken the revitalization of one of its residence halls during the summer, with the goal to have it completed by the fall semester. In 2011 the university completely gutted and renovated the women’s dorm Fanning Hall, including internal electrical and plumbing systems, and in 2012 another women’s dorm, Elam Hall, was refurbished and upgraded.
“Enhancing our student housing facilities has been a major focus on campus for some years,” said Lipscomb President L. Randolph Lowry. “Our enrollments have grown because students can see the positive spirit of Lipscomb and appreciate the excellent academic resources, but there is no doubt that modernized housing facilities and amenities are attractive to students and beneficial to any student’s college experience. It is exciting to see a building so prevalent in generations of students’ college memories get the upgrades and enhancements that it truly deserves. ”
High Rise was built in 1968 as a men’s dorm during a time of rapid enrollment increases. It has remained the largest men’s dormitory and the tallest building on campus since that time. It houses up to 400 students in one- and two-bed rooms.
The High Rise refurbishment project is expected to cost $7.5 million. While the interior will be completely rethought and reappointed, the total number of rooms will remain about the same, said Chuck Miller of Tuck Hinton Architects, the firm designing the project.
“The interior of the building will feel brand new after all of this is done,” said Miller.
High Rise has long been well-known to Lipscomb’s male students, many of whom first stay there as high schoolers while attending Lipscomb’s summer spiritual camp, Impact, or athletics camps. High Rise houses the majority of male freshmen on campus.
When the university built more modern residence halls in 2008, student life officials found that many students valued their community in High Rise so much that they chose to stay there instead of moving to brand new facilities, said Smith.
“Despite its age and size, High Rise creates a real community among the male students,” he said. “This project is designed to enhance and build that sense of community and support among our men while making much-needed improvements.”