LEWISBURG – Four apartment-style residence halls for upper class students will be built at Bucknell University to replace a complex commonly known as “The Mods.”
The three-story residence halls with the Bucknell traditional red brick exterior will house 70 students each, the university announced Thursday.
They will be built in what is referred to as Bucknell West that is across Route 15 from the main campus near the golf club, baseball and soccer fields. There is a pedestrian tunnel under the highway.
The board of trustees at its spring meeting approved the project at a cost not to exceed $55 million.
Each building will contain apartments of varying sizes and configurations with single bedrooms and shared kitchen and bath spaces, four student lounge areas and laundry facilities.
They are being designed for the inclusion of a geothermal heating and cooling system to advance the university’s commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, the announcement stated.
Geothermal systems eliminate the combustion of fossil fuels on site and dramatically lower the need to generate power, significantly reducing the emission of greenhouse gasses and the environmental damage associated with nonrenewable resource extraction.
The quadrangle bordered by the four new buildings will feature an outdoor recreation area that will include a fire pit, amphitheater, table tennis tables, a volleyball court, barbecue grills, an area for additional yard games and seating.
“These new apartment-style residence halls should provide students a substantial upgrade from ‘The Mods,’ which are in need of replacement,” Dean of Students Amy Badal said.
The university has made a greater commitment to outdoor recreation options on campus based on student feedback, she said.
“The amenities found at these new student housing units represent a model for what we envision across campus moving forward,” she said. “Based on student feedback, we have made a greater commitment to outdoor recreation options for students on campus, and the amenities found at these new student housing units represent a model for what we envision across campus moving forward.”
Through the use of certain modular elements, the construction of each building is expected to take eight months. The first two are to be completed for the 2023 fall semester and the other two a year later.