University of Michigan Bidding for $185M Grad Student Dorms
During the October 18, 2013 meeting of the University of Michigan Board of Regents, approval was granted to issue the Munger Graduate Residences project for bids and award construction contracts. The schematic design for the eight-story building was approved at the September meeting. The structure will accommodate housing for approximately 630 students. Construction is scheduled for completion during the summer of 2015.
Charles Munger, vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has generously donated $100 million toward funding the 370,000-square-foot building as well as another $10,000 in fellowships for resident students. Munger’s donation is the largest in the history of the University. The total estimated cost of the project is about $185 million, the balance of which will be funded by bond proceeds and commercial paper issuance. About 264 construction jobs will be created by the project.
The design includes 96 apartments, most of which will contain seven bedrooms for a total of 632 bedrooms in total. The residences will take up seven floors, with an additional floor of common space accommodating a solarium, a commissary and an outdoor balcony which encircles the floor as a running track. Music practice rooms, a media room and indoor gym are also included in the design. Lounges, study space and the track will be on the eighth floor.
The innovative design was a joint project by Hartman-Cox Architects and Integrated Design Solutions. The plans will follow U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification system which will insure exceptional energy efficiency, exceeding standard levels by about 30 percent.
On-campus residences for graduate students are unusual living options and the University hopes that the addition of this unique offering will attract more graduate students to the University of Michigan. Offering a communal approach to student life, the building encourages interaction across disciplines. The vision is that this positive social environment will remove some of the isolation graduate students often feel, and allow the free exchange of ideas to elevate the level of their educational experience. Each bedroom has its own private bath and shares a common kitchen and living areas with three to six other bedrooms. At the current projection, the new dormitory should be available for graduate students for the fall semester of 2015. The $10 million in fellowships will be used in part to select students to help defray their living expenses. The University of Michigan bidding for $185M grad student dorms is officially underway.
