UCLA Dorms to Dominate "the Hill"

UCLA has just announced plans for a massive expansion of its housing capacity on the residential portion of the campus known as "the Hill." The $375 million project will encompass 1,500 beds split across four new residential halls, in addition to a new fitness facility, a new dining area, and a 425-seat multi-purpose room. Upon projected completion in 2013, the university will achieve its stated goal of guaranteed housing for 4 years for undergraduates and 2 years for graduate students. With its current capacity for 3 years of guaranteed housing, 90% of freshmen are living in cramped triples built as doubles.

The project, which is forecast to be classified LEED Silver, will include trash and recycling chutes (a first for campuses nationwide), low-flow toilets, storm water collection drains, and high performance window glazes, among others. Enhanced landscaping and an extended Bruin Walk will welcome pedestrians to a greener version of the Hill. The buildings will range in height from a three-story mixed use complex to a nine-story residential tower.

The new buildings will be largely clustered along DeNeve Drive, the slender lane that snakes from the center of campus up into Bel-Air. Construction will commence in the fall of this year and will have impacts on area traffic and parking. The central section of DeNeve Drive will be made a one-way street and Charles E Young Dr West will be temporarily closed. Students have already expressed concerns over the auditory intrusions construction will inevitably introduce. With weekday construction beginning at 7 am, students can expect a rude awakening. And of course the big question - officials assured the Daily Bruin that "there will be low noise levels during finals week." I would think 3 obnoxious freshmen cramped into 100 square feet would be enough to send anyone packing to the other side of campus to study.