For the past few years, housing has been a hot-button issue on Brandeis’ campus. Students have complained about the quantity as well as the quality of their living facilities, an issue that only worsens as the Brandeis budget grows tighter and dorms age further. 

Some may not be aware that there is a new dorm building being planned for construction. The operation is headed by Vice President of Student Affairs Andrea Dine and Vice President for Campus Planning and Operations Lois Stanley. Dine stated in a March 25 interview with The Justice that the building is still on track to open in fall of 2027. As Dine cautioned, however, there are a myriad of disturbances that could change that date, including new tariffs issued by President Donald Trump. Most of the materials for the dorm are sourced within the United States, so Dine remains optimistic that the project will continue to stay on its projected timeline, with construction set to begin this July.  

Since The Justice’s last publication regarding the new dorm building in an  April 2024 issue, several new details about the dorm have been confirmed. One of the most notable details is that it will be built over the area that is currently X-lot, the small parking lot for on-campus juniors and seniors behind Ziv Quadrangle. A small portion of Theater-lot, will also go to the dorm’s construction site, though most of it will remain parking spaces. Considering that X-lot is lower geographically than T-lot, Dine explained that the foundation of the building will be at the “X-lot level” with entrances on the “T-lot level.” 

As of the latest changes in design, the building will hold approximately 630 students. It will also be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified. According to LEED’s website, certification is granted to buildings that are “healthy, highly efficient, and cost-saving green buildings, which offer social and governance benefits.”  

When asked about the consequences of building in an area that students use to park, Dine referenced an external parking study that was issued by the Department of Campus Planning and Operations. According to Dine, using X-lot for this project is the first step in a major reallocation of Brandeis parking. Currently, she explained, there are several lots on campus that are congested with cars, and several that are barely used. A long-term goal for the University is to reorganize campus parking to alleviate this skewed distribution, but there are no immediate plans to expand parking on campus. 

The dorm is being designed by the architects that worked on Skyline Residence Hall, William Rawn Associates. The building itself will wrap around a central green area, and its exterior will be a metal facade featuring a gradient of colors. The exact colors, Dine stated, are still being chosen. 

Additionally, the building’s architecture makes it available for larger community activities. Dine, who is particularly passionate about the community aspect of the dorm’s architecture, stated that there will be both an outdoor amphitheater and a large community space. According to Dine, the spaces are being designed to accommodate a wide range of activities with large numbers of attendees. This community space includes an indoor section as well as an outdoor patio. Unlike Skyline, she said, the residential and community spaces will be connected. Generally, the team has been considering the successes and shortcomings of Skyline while designing this new building. 

In terms of internal organization, Dine explained, the dorm will be split into “neighborhoods.” Each neighborhood, or one-third of a floor, will have its own lounge, kitchen and small group work spaces which Dine called “huddle spaces.” Most of the dorm’s bathrooms will be single-stall. The building will also include powered bike storage and its own gymnasium. 

Currently, the team of people working on the new dorm is in the process of hearing feedback from various groups. For example, they recently made modifications to the building’s design that allowed for easy access for fire trucks and other emergency vehicles.

Additionally, the team recently heard feedback from members of the Waltham community. Dine called the feedback from the Waltham community members “overwhelmingly positive,” as the project will create many jobs. According to Dine, all of the construction done on the dorm will be union work. There is already a plan in place for where those working on the dorm will park and how they can use the commuter rail to commute from other communities. 

Another large source of feedback for Dine and her team was student opinions of the mock-up of the new rooms. In these mock-ups, which were constructed in Kutz Hall at the beginning of the fall 2024 semester, students were asked to walk around and place post-it notes with feedback. 

As Dine stated, this feedback was tremendously helpful. It provided a perspective that was missing from all other sources: prospective inhabitants. Students pointed out details that were helpful to a dorm room such as conveniently located electrical sockets, having closets instead of wardrobes, including thermostats for every room and installing desks with top shelves. Dine is also experimenting with the idea of having electrical key fobs in addition to traditional keys to open doors, though this change has not been confirmed. 

Dine and her team are planning to construct another mock-up in Kutz, which will be widely available to students. She emphasized that even though most current students will have graduated by the time the dorm is constructed, their feedback is greatly appreciated. The dates for the next mock-up are still being finalized.