UMass Boston Residence Hall 1 | Columbia Point | Dorchester

Re: New UMass Boston student housing project

Its been under construction since before the winter, they're still pile driving.
 
Re: New UMass Boston student housing project

12345 said:
Work begins on first-ever student housing on campus of UMass Boston



http://m.asumag.com/new-construction/work-begins-first-ever-student-housing-campus-umass-boston
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Renders are certainly nice looking. A nice change from the bizugly architecture of the UMass Boston campus. For decades it was like every time a public university built something the alums of BC, BU, Harvard and MIT all sat in the star chamber room and said 'that's nice but can we make it ugly and depressing to look at?'
 
Re: New UMass Boston student housing project

Was just over on Harbor Point today. The campus looks like a disaster. Not sure why they decided to try to do everything at once, but it's a mess.
 
Re: New UMass Boston student housing project

BussesAin'tTrains said:
Was just over on Harbor Point today. The campus looks like a disaster. Not sure why they decided to try to do everything at once, but it's a mess.
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My understanding is that utilities for the original campus megastructure are contained within the parking garage that is beneath and between the original buildings. Before the school demolishes the garage between buildings and renovates it under the buildings, the entire campus utility network has to be rerouted. And this utility relocated project has sensibly been combined with campuswide roadway improvements.
 
Re: New UMass Boston student housing project

^ yup they've been going around everywhere digging up the utilities and installing new ones. You got basically exactly whats going on and they are also building these new dorms along with creating new walking/biking paths, basically landscaping the whole school, rerouted a road, and closed off another road. Its all under the 25 year plan and they just decided if the school is going to be a shit show anyways might as well do everything at once. No matter how you sliced it the relocation of all of the schools utilities were going to be like a bomb going off so the addition of dorms and the other pieces doesn't add really too much on top of that. Its a nightmare.
 
Re: New UMass Boston student housing project

There are graduate students and undergraduate transfer students who will only attend UMB for a year or two who will know nothing but this torn up campus. And the demolition of the garage substructure might be even more of a mess than the massive amount of work happening now.

Every bit of this work is needed, since everything was wrong with the original campus design. But having all this going on is like trying to operate a university in the middle of heavy industry.
 
Re: New UMass Boston student housing project

It is hardly the only school to do a project like this though there are many schools that have students attending that only see the school in a constant state of construction. It sucks but it also isn't unheard of.
 
Re: New UMass Boston student housing project

TheBostonian said:
There are graduate students and undergraduate transfer students who will only attend UMB for a year or two who will know nothing but this torn up campus. And the demolition of the garage substructure might be even more of a mess than the massive amount of work happening now.

Every bit of this work is needed, since everything was wrong with the original campus design. But having all this going on is like trying to operate a university in the middle of heavy industry.
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Thats kind of my situation. Got out of the marines and was like this school seems like its good enough, i was wrong and the construction makes it a nightmare. After winter break I came back and it was even worse than before...which is hard to do. Pretty much have regretted my decision from the 1st day of class.
 
Re: New UMass Boston student housing project

stick n move said:
Thats kind of my situation. Got out of the marines and was like this school seems like its good enough, i was wrong and the construction makes it a nightmare. After winter break I came back and it was even worse than before...which is hard to do. Pretty much have regretted my decision from the 1st day of class.
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UMB can be a dreary place. My advice as an alum is that it is essential to be social with classmates and instructors. That might come naturally at a residential campus, but it takes effort at a commuter school. I think the new dorms have the potential to make the school a more social place overall, benefiting even the majority of students who will still live off campus.
 
Re: New UMass Boston student housing project

Wow, this thread has been around since I lived in Boston! Great to see UMB building housing.
 
Re: New UMass Boston student housing project

no pics but they have been pile driving for months and one of the cores seems to be at around floor 2/3.
 
Re: New UMass Boston student housing project

Thank you for posting these. I'm very interested in seeing the construction, but I just about never get down there.
 
Re: New UMass Boston student housing project

UMass Boston has some serious financial problems. It's honestly in the best location of any major college in the area, I hope these projects succeed.
 
Re: New UMass Boston student housing project

Me too they're struggling right now. If they can pull it off I think the addition of the masterplan, new buildings, and the dorms will go a long way. Someone mentioned that northeastern wasn't that great of a school when it was only commuters and once they added dorms they shot up. I could see this happening here. A lot more people wouldn't mind coming here to live in the city at a umass campus if it wasn't such a clusterfuck and you had to live in the ghetto to go to school here.-nothing wrong with that I actually enjoy living in uphams corner. I think it becomes a much more appealing school once the dorms are in and construction isnt so crazy. Then if they add the soccer field with a patriots place around it this area will become much nicer. I think in the future they're going to be fine.
 
Re: New UMass Boston student housing project

There is a positive correlation between on-campus housing and student retention. Students that live on campus on average perform better academically, become more invested in the campus community, and are more inclined to give back to the school once they graduate. Another added benefit is that on campus housing enables schools to be more selective as student caliber improves. This was the case for Northeastern.

However, UMass Boston is an exceptional example. As a public university, I think the perception is that it should remain within grasp to students of all abilities, not fewer. I'm very curious to see if/how a more mature, traditional campus atmosphere affects UMass Boston.
 
Re: New UMass Boston student housing project

Id hope it stays diverse but just becomes a better place to be for students and not so walled off and closed in. Thats the hope....
 
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