Posted by Savannah Grier & Audrey Nelson
Plans for the Scribner Village renovation are in their closing stages, with the hope of presenting a final design to the Board of Trustees by Oct. 16.
Completed in 1973, Scribner Village was designed as a temporary housing facility and has since become a housing community for upper-classmen.
"The original thinking was that we would be building, as a replacement for Scribner Village, one or two apartment-style buildings. And when we brought that plan forward to students they were hesitant because they liked the character of Scribner Village," said Rochelle Calhoun, dean of Student Affairs.
Calhoun explained that student voices have been essential throughout the design process through participation in the planning committee meetings, consistent updates to the SGA Senate and numerous open community meetings.
Dan DeMartini '11, the committee's student representative, has proven to be a valuable asset to the construction of the plans.
"He has been very good about giving us feedback as far as what he is hearing when he talks to students about their desires and their responses," Calhoun said.
The committee held a presentation for students interested in sustainability to voice their opinions or concerns about the renovation. Suggestions included solar panels to provide power and a sustainable use of thermostats.
"We have tried to be both responsive to a number of things — the architecture, the sustainability efforts, the student response — and so all of those inputs have helped us evolve this design," Calhoun said.
The committee hopes to hold one last community meeting around Oct. 11 to answer any remaining questions and to address any concerns.
Despite its upcoming over-haul, smaller renovations in Scribner Village were still conducted this past summer as part of its continual maintenance.
"Even though we're replacing everything, we still need it to be habitable and attractive. So facilities did go through and do some work on it," Calhoun said.
Built with the intent of ephemerality, the Scribner Village renovation has, after 37 years, risen to a high priority status.
"Institutionally, we think this is our highest priority in the queue of many things. Getting the replacement of Scribner is our highest priority at this time," Calhoun said.
Recent projects included the 2006 Murray-Aikins Dining Hall renovation, the completion of Northwoods Village in the same year and the 2010 Arthur Zankel Music Center.
A new name for Scribner Village has yet to be discussed.
"We haven't even talked about that. We have been calling it Daughter of Scribner, so I don't know. It's something we haven't even put on the table to think through," Calhoun said.