Interesting, just to give some perspective from the other side of the pond, I think in most EU countries it would be totally illegal to build this because you need to have windows.
Architect Resigns in Protest over UCSB Mega-Dorm
581–590 of 700 posts
Re: Architect Resigns in Protest over UCSB Mega-Dorm
#582One piece of context that people might not realize: the student housing stock around UCSB is extremely limited. I've heard stories about students living in Ventura (40 minutes away by car), some students (who presumably are guaranteed housing) have been placed in hotels[1], and students living out of cars[2]. So this may be the reason that administrators feel pressured to accept this building. Still taking $200 milli…
I lived both in my car and in Carpinteria when I was a grad student there, so I'm 1.5 for 3 on your list and I wouldn't touch this place. What happened to the San Clemente apartments on El Camino?
Re: Architect Resigns in Protest over UCSB Mega-Dorm
#583Interesting collision of the idea with the covid era. During an outbreak you’d want students to have a private airspace to go to and the possibility of ventilation. Update: from another comment, Munger designed a similar building in Michigan. It has great reviews! But, one of the top ones was “great until pandemic”. Adding this to clarify that, contra other comments, I don’t necessarily think Munger was mistaken. But…
>similar building
The Michigan building has separate, private baths. Looking at the UCSB rendering, single toilet, single shower for eight.
The plan view OTOH, shows two baths.
One or the other is wrong.
Re: Architect Resigns in Protest over UCSB Mega-Dorm
#584Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think part of it could be the 9% guarantee[1] which mandates that the top 9% of California high school students be offered a place at at least one UC. [1]: https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/admission-requi...
If that was the problem then the UCs could just cut down their international student admissions to compensate. No, the problem is that the UC system as an organization is fundamentally broken, corrupt to the bone, and has all but lost sight of their intended purpose of creating and proliferating knowledge.
This is a strong claim, without any evidence to back it up. There may be some truth here, but against most metrics, UCs are among the top research institutions in the world with amazing contributions to science, medicine, etc. etc.
Could you explain where you're coming from?
Re: Architect Resigns in Protest over UCSB Mega-Dorm
#585Re: Architect Resigns in Protest over UCSB Mega-Dorm
#586Earlier quoted context omitted.
Wow, some of the quotes here: "Good luck surviving seasonal depression or maintaining your slowly failing eyesight, especially during a pandemic and you should not be spending long periods in common spaces, when 95% of the rooms in Munger have NO WINDOW" "It can be a huge problem for people to live in because normally people would feel very uncomfortable living in a room without windows, and you don't even have a saf…
Reading the comments feels like everyone went to college in bizarro world. The dorms I lived in always had shared bedrooms. In one 4 people across two bunk beds. Having a room to call my own in a dorm would have been an extraordinary improvement. Wouldn't have cared in the slightest bit about a window.
Munger is exclusively a graduate student dorm at Michigan, so these folks are in a slightly different situation than college freshmen.
Re: Architect Resigns in Protest over UCSB Mega-Dorm
#587Earlier quoted context omitted.
> If UCSB put in one of these requirements students could be forced to take part in a social experiment Well nobody needs to go to UCSB. The US is fortunate that it's got such a huge and massively diverse range of options for university. I guess if the results are bad they'll suffer for recruitment and the problem will hopefully correct itself.
The grad programs at UCSB are not to be sneezed at.
I'd sneeze at them if they tried to make me live in a window-less room.
Re: Architect Resigns in Protest over UCSB Mega-Dorm
#588Earlier quoted context omitted.
Students seem to love it. It's a shame that this sole piece of actual data is buried so far down underneath piles of speculative naysaying.
Seems like they love it for the location, convenience and price. Not for the lack of windows. Granted, no windows are cheaper but still...
I don't think anybody is saying that the lack of windows is itself a good thing, even the "forced socializing" line of reasoning clearly uses the lack of windows as a stick to get people out of their rooms. It's just an acceptable tradeoff for a sizable subset of students.
Re: Architect Resigns in Protest over UCSB Mega-Dorm
#589Earlier quoted context omitted.
I agree, but I'd also challenge that we shouldn't be designing our permanent, 100+ year structures around pandemics.
I'll wait for the medical profession to tell me the cure for a major ailment is a windowless, tightly enclosed space with limited circulation.
Has the medical profession told you that your current housing situation cures a major ailment?
Re: Architect Resigns in Protest over UCSB Mega-Dorm
#590Earlier quoted context omitted.
When did he say that? Even if that is his vision, it won't work. You can't be king of a frontier for very long unless your rule is very competent, minimal, and low-cost. The tighter your grip, the more star systems will slip through your fingers.
Everybody likes to imply that Elon is going to make some sort of shit new society in space. Perhaps they'll get as far as trying, but the odds of it working out are questionable on social grounds alone. In general, people living in hostile environments develop higher levels of trust and social responsibility. When you live closely with people, where everyone's choices impact everyone else, when a single person intent…
You're right, and what if that's the point?
Elon hasn't talked a lot about the social aspects of a Mars settlement. Maybe he doesn't care and figures that's up to the people who go there and his mission is just to get people there. Maybe he would agree with you and that's the point. Who knows.
I highly doubt he's naive enough to think the social outcome of a Mars settlement would be some standard issue Earthly political outcome or one that would exclusively favor him. If he is that naive he will be disappointed.