Boston College - Upper Campus Student Housing Renovation & Expansion

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA

Boston College couldn’t house all students on campus, so many students grouped together and rented homes, raising home rental costs for families. The City of Boston pressured Boston College to create additional student housing, so more homes were available for families. After a Design Study it was determined that (7) Student Housing buildings could have student housing added within the attics if we also added large dormers to the roof line. An elevator was added to each of the buildings. Additionally, two pairs of buildings were united with a new ground-up Community Building between the existing buildings, creating student social and study spaces, as well as additional bedrooms.

The design was reviewed by several neighborhood committees from the town. A special permit was required to expand buildings that were already nonconforming to the zoning regulations. The new 4th Floor housing needed to be built while maintaining the current occupancy of the buildings. Student safety was a priority and the need for quiet study time came every afternoon.

Phase 1 of the Student Housing construction transformation was enthusiastically endorsed by the neighbors. Phase 2 was fully endorsed by the Board of Selectmen. The new Student Housing created over (367) new beds, elevator access to every floor, and two new 4-story Community Buildings. An article in the BC Student Newspaper wrote that “Students felt the new bedrooms were the best on campus!”