Dorm life is a quintessential part of the American university experience, but that wasn’t always the case. In this episode, I outline the history of dormitories and share an edited version of my conversation with Arthi Krishnamoorthy, Senior Principal at TenBerke, to discuss the firm’s residential college project on the Princeton campus. 

After three years of attending Zoom school, college students are setting records for on-campus housing demand. Mixed with the ever-rising rent prices in college towns, many universities are reimagining the traditional dorm model to accommodate the crowds. 

Arthi is working closely with the stakeholders at Princeton to ensure the new multi-building dormitory complex enhances student well-being, integrates living environments, and fosters a sense of community and responsibility. 

Located strategically on the edge of campus in a woodland area, the two new residential colleges consist of eight new buildings that house approximately 1,000 students. Each building features a transparent base that encourages community involvement through visibility and encompasses a contemporary style to the rest of the campus. 

Princeton's ten-year plan aims to significantly increase the undergraduate student population as well as their living and dining hall options on campus. Arthi explains how symbolic and detailed architecture ensures that students will be overcome with a sense of discovery and community through this new endeavor. 

Note: New College East has since been renamed Yeh College since this episode was originally recorded.

About the Guest:

Arthi Krishnamoorthy is a Senior Principal at TenBerke, which is the new name of Deborah Berke Partners, the NYC-based design firm. Prior to Deborah Berke Partners, she worked at and started her career at Pelli Clarke & Partners. Arthi is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and the University of Pennsylvania.

Topics Covered:

• Historical dormitories associated with colonial colleges
• How on-campus student housing has changed since the inception of dormitories 
• The controversial trend of windowless dorm rooms 
• Examples of universities that are exploring unconventional off-campus housing solutions 
• How the undergraduate residential college system works
• Wayfinding and its importance on a college campus
• Building community and awareness on a campus
• How to give students choice through architecture 

Resources Mentioned: 

• The Dystopian Windowless Dormzilla Trend Continues 

About Your Host

Atif Qadir is the Founder of Commonplace, a company dedicated to tackling one of the biggest barriers to more inclusive, affordable, and sustainable development: improving access to capital. Commonplace helps impact-driven developers and capital providers with shared values discover and connect with each other.

Connect with Arthi Krishnamoorthy

• Connect with Arthi Krishnamoorthy on LinkedIn
• Connect with TenBerke on LinkedIn
• Learn more about TenBerke

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