Edhat Staff
By the edhat staff
A newly released report calls UC Santa Barbara’s proposed behemoth student housing building a safety threat if changes are not made, reports the Los Angeles Times.
An independent review was released this week stating a “robust redesign” with more windows, ventilation, and bedroom space is needed or else it poses a potential health and safety risk to residents.
In July of 2021, Tyler Hayden at the Independent broke the story of UCSB’s plans to build the massive, 11-story dormitory on the northwest edge of campus that would accommodate up to 4,536 undergraduate students.
Hayden dubbed the project “Dormzilla,” a moniker that went viral with international news coverage, though the official name is “Munger Hall” after billionaire Charles Munger who agreed to donate $200 million in seed money for the construction.
Single bedroom mock-up for the proposed Munger Hall at UCSB (courtesy photo)
The project is aiming to address UCSB’s severe lack of student housing. Both the City of Goleta and Santa Barbara County have sued the university over the housing shortfall, putting pressure on the project to succeed.
Although the criticism has been sharp and widespread. A leading Los Angeles architect resigned from the campus design review committee and the Santa Barbara chapter of the American Institute of Architects penned an open letter to UCSB Chancellor Henry T. Yang stating the building does not support the health, safety, and welfare of building occupants, respect the natural environment, and enhance the community at large.
“Our collective response to this proposal is not a critique of style, rather this is a critique of the unacceptable, inhumane living conditions that will no doubt, have psychological impact on its inhabitants and the community at large,” the letter states.
The building has been modified following backlash with maxmimum occupancy reduced to 3,500 and going from 11 floors to 9, but the report urges for more consideration of the close quarters when it comes to disease transmission, such as COVID-19, evacuation routes, and lack of sun or air.
The Los Angeles Times states the UCSB Academic Senate asseembled a 13-member panel of faculty, campus and community members to produce the independent report. The panel expressed frustration with project leaders reluctance to seek input and feedback at an earlier stage in its development.
Suite mock-up for the proposed Munger Hall at UCSB (courtesy photo)
The panel’s “major risks and concerns” centered around adding operable windows to each multibedroom suite (and as many other bedrooms as possible), increasing the size of single bedrooms to match existing campus dorm rooms, reducing the building mass and population density, and adding cooking appliances to each suite’s kitchenette.
The Munger Hall project team issued a statement to the Los Angeles Times stating they are actively working with architects to add more windows, additional ventilation shafts, and greater airflow. The team highlighted the demand for housing in Santa Barbara stated they will continue to work together with the community to increase access to affordable on-campus housing.
The university has created in-person “mock-ups” of the building in a local warehouse to showcase some of the residence halls amenities and for stakeholders to physically see the size of communal spaces and private rooms.
A video walk-through was posted by UCSB this past September to show the community the large communal kitchens and study spaces, as well as the private bedrooms with LED panels that adjust lighting levels throughout the day meant to mimic natural light.
Related Articles
July 16, 2022: Dormzilla Descends on UCSB
November 6, 2022: UCSB & Munger Respond to Avalanche of Backlash Over Dormzilla
November 6, 2022: Local Architects Reject UCSB Munger Hall Proposal
The headline and story says the building is a safety threat but doesn’t say why.
You know, I’m always interested in hearing informed, knowledgeable information. However, simply detest reading subjective pontifications from the ignorant or biased interests. Let the experts figure it out. If students do not want to live in the hall, nobody is going to hold a gun to their head…
Munger Hall looks more like a prison for the criminally insane, not for UCSB students.
click bait much? it’s much ado about nothing.
no windows are great when you want quiet time and sleep. If one wants fresh ocean air and light, go outside, easy peasy. They aren’t locked inside. This is being used at other campuses where the climate is much colder and students ctually do need to stay indoors more often. There is no social experiment happening – students are living there for a few short months out of a few short years and they move on.