Charlie Munger designed the mostly windowless behemoth.
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Respected architect Dennis McFadden recently resigned from his post at the University of California, Santa Barbara, because the new dorm UCSB is constructing is “unsupportable from my perspective as an architect, a parent, and a human being.”
What McFadden calls a “social and psychological experiment” is the brainchild of 97-year-old billionaire Charlie Munger. The Berkshire Hathaway vice chairman and Warren Buffett’s BFF donated $200 million for the dorm…with the stipulation that his blueprints be followed exactly. But those blueprints are wacky:
- Housing 4,500 students in 1.68 million square feet, the building would be the world’s most populous dorm and the eighth-densest neighborhood globally.
- But it would have just two exits, and 94% of students wouldn’t have windows.
Wth, why? Munger—who is not a trained architect but has designed other university and residential buildings for funzies—envisions Munger Hall, as he named it, creating a “close-knit” living experience for undergrads.
“Everybody loves light and everybody prefers natural light. But it’s a game of tradeoffs,” he told Bloomberg.
Zoom out: UCSB is scrambling to resolve a student housing shortage that’s led to campus protests. It’s a problem many universities across the US are facing, as undergrads log off Zoom and head to in-person class.—JW
