A Brand New, Old-Fashioned Dorm

Bornhuetter Residence Hall opens its doors to 184 new residents

Sure, Bornhuetter Hall is sophisticated. Its distinctive architecture features glassed-in study pods jutting out from the walls. Its rooms and hallways are tastefully carpeted. But fundamentally, the College’s new residence hall bucks trendiness for tradition: two students to a room, bathrooms down the hall. Bornhuetter boasts no suites of single rooms grouped around semi-private lounges and bathrooms. Learning to live with peers is an important part of the Wooster experience, College administrators believe.

"During the past ten years or so, we have seen a movement toward more apartment and townhouse living arrangements," says David Brown, director of housing and residential life. "Given the College’s commitment to the residential living experience, we wanted a facility that would provide a sense of community."

Still, Bornhuetter’s residents do enjoy certain upgrades. The rooms include more shelf and storage space "because students bring more items to college than ever before," Brown notes. Three switches allow a student to light his or her side of the room without disturbing a sleeping roommate. The light-blonde furniture allows for easy bunking or lofting of the beds.

Each floor is equipped with a kitchenette along with the hallmark study pod off a lounge area. "These areas provide additional study space," says Brown. A multi-purpose room on the lower level can accommodate thirty-six and features a full kitchen as well as the latest interactive media technology.

One design aspect still being fine-tuned is the air circulation – the building’s windows swing out from the bottom and don’t accommodate window fans. Indian summer days at the start of the school year meant hot temperatures in the new dorm, which students quickly dubbed "the ’Heatter."

Still, they recognize the privilege of their new address. "What I like best about the building," says Jim Witter ’07, of Toledo, "is that it’s fresh and new. There’s plenty of space for everyone."