Construction Begins on New Residence Hall

Oberlin has begun construction on a new residence hall that, by the time of its scheduled opening in fall 2025, will house more students than any other building on campus.

The structure will be located on Woodland Street, across from the Science Center and south of the Shanks Health and Wellness Center. It will consist of four floors and 401 beds, which will be configured primarily as climate-controlled four-person suites—the first building on campus to offer suite-style accommodations. Each suite will feature private bedrooms for each resident as well as a shared bathroom, kitchenette, and dining area.

A small number of single rooms will be available for resident assistants and to accommodate ADA needs. 

Also in store: ample natural light throughout the building, shared spaces for social gatherings and group study on each  floor, a first-floor kitchen and living room for use by all residents, and acoustically optimized practice rooms.

The new residence hall will be the first on campus to open since Kahn Hall was christened in 2010. Its accommodations for 400-plus students far outnumber the 257 beds in the next largest residence on campus, South Hall. It will be available to all but first-year students.

The new hall represents a key facet of Oberlin’s commitment to upgrading housing throughout campus. Upon completion, it will allow for other residences to be taken offline for renovation on a rolling basis.

Site preparation began in July; a ceremonial groundbreaking, featuring Oberlin’s board of trustees, President Carmen Twillie Ambar, and other campus leaders, is scheduled for Friday, September 29.

“This project clearly signifies our commitment to creating an outstanding living and learning environment for every student on our campus,” says Oberlin Vice President and Dean of Students Karen Goff. “We look forward to welcoming our first residents to the new hall, and also to building on new opportunities to significantly improve our existing housing in ways we otherwise could not imagine.” 

The new hall will be built to LEED Gold standards and will be net-zero ready and tied into Oberlin’s Sustainable Infrastructure Program distribution system—a key part of the institution’s ongoing commitment to reaching carbon neutrality by 2025. It was designed by the Toledo firm The Collaborative and will be built by Gilbane Construction of Cleveland.

The following images were provided by The Collaborative.