Gilbert-Addoms is about to get a makeover.
Renovations to Gilbert-Addoms Residence Hall will begin May 9. The project, which will improve the building’s accessibility, bathrooms, bedrooms, common space and the GA Down Under basement event space, will be finished in August for students’ arrival. The Board of Trustees approved the project at their February meeting. Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta said the project would cost $7 million.
“This residence hall is one of the larger ones on East [Campus], and we are focusing the majority of the summer renovation funds on GA,” wrote Rick Johnson, assistant vice president of student affairs for housing, dining and residence life, in an email Sunday.
The construction comes at the end of several months of planning and collaboration by HDRL, Moneta added.
LB Bergene, East Campus assistant dean for residence life, noted that the plan will include new vinyl floors, ceiling and lights in the dormitory rooms and new furniture in the common room. The changes follow a model set by Southgate Residence Hall, GA’s neighbor that was renovated last summer.
In its current state, common complaints among students include the state of the bathrooms and internal problems of the building.
“The heating system was broken during the summer, and it was hotter than outside at the beginning of the year,” said freshman Shannon Moyer, a GA resident.
One important aspect in constructing the renovation designs has been making the building accessible for disabled individuals, Bergene said. The new bathroom designs will have several roll-in showers and sink fixtures. This continues a long-range plan to update buildings on all three campuses to the standards of the American with Disabilities Act, she said.
HDRL also plans to repurpose GA’s basement space, making it more accessible to residents, Johnson said. The Down Under’s back room—currently filled with dining booths—will become an open game and television room and will include a DukeCard swipe at the entrance. Currently, the space can only be accessed from a door separate from the main entrance to the dormitory. Some students are optimistic about the changes to the space, citing the lack of accessibility as a reason why the space is not used by many students.
“Every time we go, there is no one [in GA Down Under] and the only people who come are asking how to get up to GA,” freshman Sharon Kim said.
As HDRL continues renovations on East Campus, increased focus has been set on energy conservation and sustainability.
Each of the resident rooms in the renovated dormitory will have two electric circuits per room, Johnson said, noting that the two circuits will be able to support many electrical appliances without tripping a circuit breaker.
“Southgate is one of the most energy-efficient dorms,” said freshman Emily Yang. “I only hope that GA will be made more efficient, too.”
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