Boston College Master Plan

Re: Boston College Master Plan debut

I think everyone is getting all worked up over this rendering. BC takes their campus seriously. They have done a nice job of integrating new projects like Stokes that are well executed with the rest of the campus. They also spent a lot of time and money refurbishing old buildings like Gasson as well as maintaining really nice old buildings, like Bapst. I recommend anyone here to take a stroll through Gargan Hall in Bapst. You aren't going to find this stuff at many other area schools.

bapst-stained-glass.jpg


982453309_mHrBzLKZ_BapstLibrary28Long2928329729.jpg
 
Re: Boston College Master Plan debut

Yes, BC has done (and continues to do) a wonderful job of restoring its old, academic buildings and erecting new ones.

I complain when I see dorms built or designed along the 'mega mindset'. A sense of human scale is lacking and, as a result, they will never be valued in the same way that a Bapst, Gasson, Devlin -- even the new Stokes are.
Human scale is important in the long run.

Even large buildings do not need to overwhelm if designed well. There can be 'human elements' built in which make them a pleasure to use. I just don't see that in this new dorm design -- outward appearance alone, of course -- though something tells that the interior will not make up for it.
 
Re: Boston College Master Plan debut

Some positives that are possibly being overlooked:
-Construction of this dorm will help make possible the future demolition of Edmond's Hall, which in turn will help make possible the future demolition of the Plex. Campus will be much better off without both of those.
-I think the campus facing semi-quad area will actually be a really nice area, creating a space that is well defined by the various wings of the building. (Take a look at the overhead site plan, figure 2-6.) The creation of more quads has been a major goal of BC's planning.

That said, I do still wish this was the plan.

tomorrowland-8-full.jpg
 
Re: Boston College Master Plan debut

Site has been demolished.
 
Re: Boston College Master Plan debut

^^ That would be St Thomas More Hall. It will be replaced by a new dorm. The new project is called the "2150 Commonwealth Ave. Residence Hall".

St Thomas More Hall
I'm not sure if this is the final rendering, but it was valid about a year ago.

2150 Com Ave Residence Hall.
 
Re: Boston College Master Plan debut

"a downgrade" -- but better than what it's replacing.
 
Re: Boston College Master Plan debut

How many more students will this house on campus? Will it take pressure off the Cleveland Circle neighborhood?
 
Re: Boston College Master Plan debut

The photo of the sign in one of BeeLine's photos says the dorm will have 490 beds, which is approximately 5% of BC's undergraduate student population. Not sure how much pressure this will alleviate in Cleveland Circle. I think colleges everywhere have the mentality that, if they build more student housing, they can increase their student bodies as well, offsetting any benefits the additional on campus housing may have had. My college did this routinely. So I would say it will depend on what BC's long-term plans are in regards to its size and that it's too soon to tell how this will impact the neighborhood.
 
Re: Boston College Master Plan debut

BarbaricManchurian said:
I think the demolished mid-century building looks fantastic. Great college architecture.
Click to expand...

Do you mean the way it looks now?!;)

Seriously, though, the only (somewhat) redeeming feature of St Thomas More Hall was the stone clad exterior walls. Would that that were the case with the new dorm.
 
Re: Boston College Master Plan debut

BostontoLancaster said:
The photo of the sign in one of BeeLine's photos says the dorm will have 490 beds, which is approximately 5% of BC's undergraduate student population. Not sure how much pressure this will alleviate in Cleveland Circle. I think colleges everywhere have the mentality that, if they build more student housing, they can increase their student bodies as well, offsetting any benefits the additional on campus housing may have had. My college did this routinely. So I would say it will depend on what BC's long-term plans are in regards to its size and that it's too soon to tell how this will impact the neighborhood.
Click to expand...

The plan is that once this is completed, they will be able to tear down Edmund's (the large brown one) which holds like 550+ beds. Overall a future net loss of dorm space until Brighton campus is developed and 2000 comm ave is converted.

Once Edmund's is gone, they will build a new rec center and then tear down the old one and I believe build another dorm there.
 
Re: Boston College Master Plan debut

Anybody have information on what is being done (added?) to the east side of St. Mary's Hall, even as the exterior renovation appears to be complete?
 
Re: Boston College Master Plan debut

St Thomas Moore hall was a dump as are quite a few of the smallish mid-century catholic school architecture styled buildings on campus. Edmonds is another mess, as is the rec center / gym complex, a.k.a "The Plex", as in, "spring break is coming, kid. I gotta start plexing it up, bro".

Such a good school and such lousy facilities. I know the faux gothic seems forced, but it worked well for Stokes and I doubt an NU/BU styled alucobond monolith would fit in there.
 
Re: Boston College Master Plan debut

Such a good school and such lousy facilities. [/QUOTE]

Until now. You must remember that BC's fortunes about twentyfive years ago were a joke. When I was an undergraduate there in the '70s it was on the verge of insolvency. That's when former president Monan took over and started a long process of 'righting the ship'.

Now, with sound fiscal policies and a healthy endowment BC is addressing that very thing -- "lousy facilities" -- among other long deferred needs.
 
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