Middlebury College recently began construction on a 298-bed, 87,000-sq.-ft. residence hall to house first-year students starting in fall 2025, following a groundbreaking ceremony June 26 at the Vermont campus.
The new building, slated for completion in less than two years, will eventually replace Battell Hall, which currently provides dormitory space for about 40 percent of the first-year class.
At the kickoff event at the construction site, Middlebury leaders celebrated the contemporary design, noting its potential for building a strong community and shared experience among first-year students.
"We're here to celebrate a new beginning," noted Middlebury College Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration David Provost. "When this building is completed, nearly half of our Class of 2029 will call it home."
Laurie Patton, president of the college, in the small town of Middlebury, Vt., was unable to attend the ceremony, but asked Provost to share her remarks.
"Our students teach us so much about community and home," wrote Patton. "With this groundbreaking, my deep hope is that we will create another dwelling that the students can call their own. I'm delighted to be able to start the work of making another meaningful place at Middlebury and continuing to put the student experience front and center of all we do."
Residence Hall Built for 21st Century Students
The currently unnamed residence hall will be built along the northern edge of "Battell Beach," a popular green space on the northwestern portion of campus.
Battell Hall, which has served as a first-year residence hall for more than 70 years, will continue to be used for the next two years while Stewart Hall, another first-year residence hall, is renovated.
Vice President for Student Affairs Smita Ruzicka thanked the Middlebury Facilities team and Student Life staff — several of whom were in attendance — for their years of work on the project.
"I know I can speak for my colleagues, especially in residential life, that we are very excited about this new facility," she remarked. "What I'm really excited about is that it will truly be a residence hall for the 21st century student."
Ruzicka said that inclusivity was a high priority in designing the building, and that all rooms would be fully accessible, and all bathrooms built to be gender neutral. She noted that COVID-19 presented some new challenges that highlighted the need for more gathering spaces on campus that foster community, including lounges, study areas and classrooms.
"All of these things are going to be a game changer when it comes to the first-year experience," explained Ruzicka.
College's Student Affairs Had Input On Design
Philadelphia-based Voith & Mactavish Architects (VMA), the creative team behind the Middlebury residence hall, designed the building and prioritized its scale to emphasize interpersonal connection, accessibility and energy efficiency, while maximizing use of the surrounding campus features.
The design, which was developed with extensive input from the Middlebury's Student Affairs leadership, encourages cohesion among the first-year class and centralizes access to residential programming such as the First-Year Seminars and the new co-curricular Compass mentorship and life-skills program.
Each floor of the L-shaped building will feature versatile communal areas, including lounges, study rooms and communal kitchen spaces where students can collaborate on projects or gather for events. The first floor also will house offices for Residential Life staff and will feature a spacious foyer with a central, open staircase. Throughout the building, ample windows look out on campus views, bringing in natural light and creating a sense of connection to the broader campus landscape.
In addition, the building was designed to meet the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Gold certification standards for green construction, helping Middlebury meet its goal to convert to 100 percent renewable energy by 2028.
Brandon, Vt.-based Naylor & Breen Builders Inc., currently at work to finish a major renovation of Johnson Hall, just east of the new residence hall site, will serve as the construction manager of the project. The new design will resonate architecturally with the stone and brick of Forest Hall to the south and with the developing Middlebury College arts quadrangle to the southeast.
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