Inside BSC’s new residence halls

Excitement at its height as students get settled in state-of-the-art living quarters

Once upon a time, college residence halls were traditionally pretty bland and more functional than fantastic ... How times have changed.

bedroom

Birmingham-Southern’s new and beautiful Lakeview North and Lakeview South residence halls opened in fall 2010 and feature four and five-bedroom private suites. Depending on what side of the building student residents landed on, there is a spectacular window view of the Urban Environmental Park and lake.

“It’s like living in a fine hotel,” said Ben Odendahl, a senior and resident advisor for Lakeview North, who led tours of the new building Oct. 5. “Everything is nice and the rooms are large and bright and clean. It’s a great place to live and study."

Each of the four-story buildings has its own study areas, a common area with a large kitchen, and laundry rooms. And each suite consists of a common area with bay window and bay seat where students can socialize, four or five bedrooms, two private baths, and a kitchenette with a full-size refrigerator, microwave, and sink.

The 167 new beds in the two buildings accommodate the college’s increasing enrollment. The 2010-11 academic year marks the largest traditional undergraduate enrollment ever for BSC.

Since moving in to the new residence halls and getting settled into their new rooms, comments were heard from students like, “It was well worth the wait” and "The building feels more like an upscale hotel than a residence hall,” according to BSC’s Residence Life staff. "The new residence halls are remarkable,” he commented, “and students are ecstatic.”

What makes these buildings unique?