With the completion of construction on the West Quad this past spring, crews have set their sights firmly on projects at opposite ends of campus: Bexley Hall and two residence halls on South Campus.
While the Bexley renovation is nearing the finish line, the two South Quad projects are approaching a different kind of milestone — plans for a topping out ceremony where the final steel beam is put in place are in the works.
Bexley Hall
At the north end of Middle Path, Bexley Hall continues to make progress on its renovation into student housing. Workers have put a new roof on the building that dates to 1839; removed some masonry walls and reinforced others; and installed 20 geothermal wells to help with heating and cooling. They are well along on the interior tradework, too, including drywall, flooring, painting and tile work.
When the former seminary reopens, the interior will be completely redesigned to house 40 students in suites, most of which will feature two double rooms, two singles, a private lounge and a bathroom. The fully accessible structure will have an elevator, laundry facilities, and a full kitchen. Outside, the College has worked with construction partners to faithfully restore the Gothic building with period-correct stone and architectural details.
The attached addition at Colburn Hall — originally used as a library — has been renovated as well and will reopen as a student event space. It will have a new outdoor terrace and windows that have been extended to let in more light, and visitors will be able to enjoy the character of its old wood ceiling that is now visible.
Work began in the winter of 2022 and is on track to be completed this fall. More information will be provided at a later date about the supplemental housing draw that will determine which interested students may move in.
South Quad Residence Halls
Two apartment-style residence halls continued to take shape on South Campus. They are part of what eventually are expected to be three new buildings to meet a need for additional student housing and create more accessible campus communities.
Utility work on the first residence hall — on the east side of South Campus — began in the winter of 2022; the second hall followed on the west side about six months later. Since then, workers have laid foundations, and concrete and steel work have allowed the frames of the buildings to rise on either side of Old Kenyon. Masonry work on the first building will begin soon, allowing for interior improvements to be made over the winter and covering the residence hall in sandstone similar to Chalmers Library.
The new structures — very similar in their design and built to Duke University’s High Performance Building Framework for sustainability — will house about 100 students each. They will offer a mix of six-person apartments, featuring two doubles and two singles, and four-person apartments with either two doubles or a double and two singles. Each suite will have its own kitchen. Work on the first hall is scheduled to be completed in late 2024; the second building should follow about eight months later.
