Dorm Dispute

An architect resigns over a windowless design for a new student dormitory

March/April 2022

Charlie Munger (b. 1924) in collaboration with Van Tilburg, Banvard & Soderbergh Architects, Munger Hall, 2021. Courtesy of University of California, Santa Barbara.

Would you want to live in this college dorm room?

This school year, more than 1,000 students were placed on a waiting list for housing at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). Like many colleges in the United States, UCSB currently has a shortage of student housing. Recently, officials at the university approved a plan to build a massive, 11-story dormitory that would house 4,500 students. But Charlie Munger, the billionaire behind the design, doesn’t plan to include functional windows in most of the dorm rooms.

Munger, who has no architectural training, donated $200 million toward the project on the condition that the school use his design. Called Munger Hall, the building provides every resident with a small but private bedroom. However, most of the dorm rooms’ windows would be artificial. Digital displays would change throughout the day to match the light outside.

Architects and students have taken issue with Munger’s design. One of the school’s consulting architects, Dennis McFadden, even resigned in protest.

He expressed concerns for student health, citing the lack of natural light and the cramped conditions. He also noted that the design neglects to integrate the campus’s beachfront location, which is a big part of UCSB campus culture.

Munger argues that the focus of the design isn’t the dorm rooms but the common areas. There he includes real windows, spaces for lounging, and even a restaurant. He believes these design choices will encourage students to leave their tiny, windowless dorm rooms and mingle in the common areas. The huge building would also help to solve UCSB’s housing shortage.