Because of increased opportunities for social interaction, undergraduate students living on campus are more likely to persist and graduate than their counterparts. Residence hall design also contributes to student interaction. This study explored the relationship between campus apartment design and graduation rates of a sophomore cohort attending…

This study investigates the impact of residence hall architecture on students' academic achievement, also considering the influence of race and homophily opportunity--a tendency to create social bonds with like others. We found that socializing architecture was positively associated with a higher first-semester grade point average, and that…

This article explores the way in which different concepts of education are expressed through architecture. It analyses the case of the transformation of the campus of the "Colina de los Chopos" in Madrid after the Spanish Civil War. The victor's vision for education was captured physically in a new space that expressed the opposite…

The "Talking Stick" is published bimonthly, six times a year in January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, and November/December by the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International. Each issue is divided into three sections: Features, Columns, and Departments. These sections contain articles…

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of university housing construction type on psychosocial development of first-year students. Data were collected at a large, four-year, public, research university in the Southeast using the Student Development Task and Lifestyle Assessment. The population considered for this study consisted of…

The aim of this article is to understand how architectural aspects of student housing influence students' residential satisfaction and a feeling of home. In this context, the significance of an institutional character of accommodation is reflected on. Architectural aspects and aesthetics of the physical environment are as important for defining…

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)

Describes an award-winning design of a new residence hall at the University of Toronto's St. George campus. The new residence's plan, designed by Saucier and Perrotte Architectes, emphasizes a spirit of communal interaction. Includes design drawings and schematics. (EV)

Describes the blend of tradition and innovation embodied in Kyu Sung Woo Architect's design of new student housing at Bennington College in Vermont. Includes drawings and photographs. (EV)

Social and psychological effects of residing in overloaded social environments are discussed. Data are presented suggesting that the interior architecture of the corridor-design dormitories requires residents to interact with too many others, leading residents to experience stress and develop potentially stress-reducing behavior. (JR)

To hold down construction costs of student housing, Brockport College decided on a fixed-cost competition, in which architects had to team up with contractors. The winning firm used a French industrialized building system and exterior panels of weathered steel to construct a village of 27 four-story buildings. (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…