Although the seven buildings of Harvard's Canaday Hall dormitories are neither programmatically, technically, nor functionally innovative, they are a thoughtful solution to extremely restrictive circumstances imposed by the client and the site. The exterior design was carefully selected to blend inconspicuously with the neighboring 18th- and…

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, college students expressed their feelings toward impersonal, highrise, linoleum-and-formica residence halls by moving off campus in droves. Now, colleges are building more varied and flexible lowrise student housing in an effort to better accommodate students' housing preferences. (JG)

When administrators at Worcester State College decided to build student housing at their formerly all-commuter school, they took pains to involve students and faculty in planning the project. The result was a 500-student village, comprised of 26 different "houses," which has proved very popular with students. (JG)

Rochdale Village is a successful example of active student participation in the design and construction of student housing. The apartment complex reflects students' desire for a village of lowrise, wood-shingled buildings, while meeting the University of California's density requirement of 250 units per acre. (JG)

Because of a high vacancy rate and widespread vandalism in its highrise dormitories, the University of Massachusetts commissioned an environmental consultant to assess the problem. A two-year study showed that occupancy increased and vandalism decreased in an experimental dormitory where students were allowed greater freedom to arrange their own…