Munger Hall
In a Nutshell
Munger Hall is the newest proposed dormitory at UCSB, which would house 4,500 undergraduates on the far edge of campus on Mesa Road in place of the fire department and police department. The 1.68 million square foot building will be the largest dormitory in the world, and with 11 floors — nine of which would house students in individual 10 foot by 7 foot rooms — it will be 159 feet tall, only about one story less than Storke Tower.
Each of the student floors will be separated into eight "houses" and contain eight suites, which will then contain eight individual bedrooms. UCSB has stated that, "Each suite includes eight single-occupancy bedrooms, two gender-neutral bathrooms, a study/community area with kitchenette, two refrigerators and microwave ovens, and a large screen TV. In addition to the suites, each house provides a shared Convivial Kitchen with multiple cooktops, wall ovens and microwaves to encourage social interaction among students through cooking together with housemates. Additionally, there is a common laundry room, a game room and an expansive Great Room."
With so many amenities, maybe the mostly-windowless dorm isn't so bad.
The Gracious Donor
Who is Charles Munger?
Charles "Charlie" Munger is an American billionaire and vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, a real estate company owned by notorious billionaire Warren Buffet. He is the mastermind behind the estimated $1.5 billion dollar Munger Hall and is working with architect Navy F. Banvard. It is rumored that if UCSB does not follow architectural plans precisely, Munger will pull all $200 million dollars he plans to donate and the dormitory that could assist with the housing crisis will likely not be built.
UCSB Student Opinions
"I get the need for more housing, but [UCSB] is practically building a boujie prison for students. It seems like it will be cramped and if I were a first-year again, I think I would still choose living in FT again with roommates."