[Corvallis Gazette-Times, Aug. 22, 2012] — When Oregon State University officials originally started drawing up plans for the campus’ newest dormitory, the idea was to create a building that would attract a community of upperclassmen.

But those plans for the new dormitory, scheduled to open in fall 2014, evolved as OSU moved ahead with its goal of having true freshmen live on campus beginning next academic year.

So now, the new student residence — which has yet to be named — will accommodate 300 students, and the emphasis will be on freshmen, said Dan Larson, the director of University Housing and Dining Services. He estimated that 70 percent of the residents in the new hall will be first-year students and 30 percent will be returning students, whom he said will be attracted to the building’s three-bedroom suites with shared bathrooms.

“The type of facility will be very attractive to first-year students, and it will be consistent with a type of facility that returning students have shown interest in,” Larson said. “It is a pretty ideal demographic. You have some of the older students who are helping the first-year students, and then we’ll be meeting the greatest needs, which is first-year students given the live-on requirement.”

The 85,000 square-foot residence hall will be located on the east side of campus, on 13th Street and Washington Avenue near three other residence halls and McNary Dining Center.

The cost of the five-story building is $29 million — considerably less than OSU’s newest residence hall, the $52 million International Living-Learning Center residence building. The cost of the Learning Center was higher in part because that building also includes a variety of classrooms.

Students will pay $11,446 for a single room and $9,325 for a double room per year, including a meal plan, in the new residence.

“In terms of total capacity, it would be very consistent with the triplex near where it’s being built: Callahan, Wilson and McNary,” Larson said.

The new residence building’s design meets OSU energy-efficiency standards and should qualify for at least a silver rating for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Designs, the third-highest LEED standard. Larson said the building might qualify for a gold designation. For instance, windows will be equipped with sensors that shut off the heat when the window is open — one of several built-in energy-saving features.

Larson also said the building will meet all current codes regarding accessibility.

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Read the full article by  JOCE DeWITT.