Lot 8 Current Photos
- Thread starter Sir ScarletKnight
- Start date
Cofifa-check out the recently completed sorority village at Tennessee. My daughter loved it on her campus visit ( another topic)
However, here at RU we shun, hide and don't support our Greek system. We shut down all social activities for ALL greek organizations, regardless of cause. Sure we all go to school for an education, but there's also a "college experience" that needs to be considered and I feel we do a poor job of it here at Rutgers at times. It does make a difference in the school choice for kids. People can disagree on the value of a greek system, but all studies point to greek alumni being more involved in the school, both during AND after graduation. They actually maintain a higher GPA during school and donate at a significantly higher rate after. IMO-because they enjoyed their "college experience"
Hijacked....back to Lot 8
Very interesting read a few weeks ago in another thread about RU vs other non NJ schools and the educational experience etc. No right answer as everyone and every family is different.
RU is on the list She's going into her senior year, so she hasn't even applied. No guarantees anywhere. Personally, I feel RU should weigh a legacy, but political correctness prohibits that. UT is a bit of a safety school. Inlaws have family out by UT so they visited this spring. She loved the visit, the campus and the "college experience". It helps that flowers were blooming while she left freezing temps here. It helps that her tour guide was fun/cool and gave a great presentation. It helps when she goes in with Mom to the brand new 30Mil sorority village that was recently finished ( google it ) She won't be winning a Nobel Prize, so the "college experience" is important. She want's a big school, big football, big campus...big fun. A wise man once said, "Only half your education is in the classroom". I am a firm believer in that as well.
It's not just a ranking in a magazine. RU could do a better job in many areas, starting with the tour. I've heard it's been improved recently. The fact that the Honors College and Lot8 are the first new construction projects on College Ave in 30 years says a lot. The credit for both of these projects goes to Cofifa, not anyone at RU. Let's see when we build the new student center/dining hall etc. Just like McCormick's College Ave greening, I'll probably not live to see any of it. I hope I'm wrong.
Still hijacked.....sounds like a new thread needed
As a current Rutgers student, if you all want a non-"official" tour, I'd be happy to provide it sometime this fall. Especially on Livingston, where the dining hall is on-point. (Especially Fridays!)
+1 - we need more alumni to step up and help transform the University and environs like Cofifa and Cahill.
Just got back from a few weeks up in the Alaskan bush managing/fighting a wild land fire and saw some good stuff:
Agree with Steve here...
Also here in the bolded, it's really none of our business...
I think the wise man was Henry Rutgers who rumor has it said something similar: "Don't let school get in the way of your education."
And Cofifa what can you share on this...
Do you know something?:okay:
Agree with Steve here...
Also here in the bolded, it's really none of our business...
I think the wise man was Henry Rutgers who rumor has it said something similar: "Don't let school get in the way of your education."
And Cofifa what can you share on this...
Do you know something?:okay:
Classic RU grad - RU builds two new buildings on campus and someone else gets the credit.
Of course - the - its the experience not the classroom is a huge part of why American students are so in debt in the first place. Not a knock on you - its our culture regarding college. Its a 4 year sleep away camp and matchmaker service that happens to offer classes to keep people from going too far off the deep end. and justify spending so much money in the first place.
Imo, the Greek life is nothing but trouble. Booze, hazing, debauchery and sometimes an untimely death. I saw it. I heard it. Never wanted any part of it. Good riddance.
(I'm not trying to change anyone's views. It's just my opinion on it. FYI.)
Do we have to start watching for what color shoes SF88's daughter is wearing?
(Yes, it's a joke, people.)
(Yes, it's a joke, people.)
For the record, Rutgers takes hazing very, very seriously these days. You can't even call an event a Scavenger Hunt, and that applies to all student groups, not just frats. It's against hazing rules.
And Greek life does a lot of good on/around campus too. Visiting sick children in the hospital, dance marathon, etc. I believe the original dance marathon was a ZBT event in the 70s, though I could be wrong.
Anyway, some new photos of the building going up, and even a bonus one of the new academic building.
From behind the building.
I could be wrong, but I think lot 8 will be called the yard.
A simple effective name that will easily be used by students/ visitors without seeming forced or canned
A simple effective name that will easily be used by students/ visitors without seeming forced or canned
Saw Lot 8 for the first time since last semester and it is quite out of scale with its surroundings. Not liking it in person any better than the photos.. its a shame since i like the honors college project
The second sentence is the key. We know they can do a great job because the evidence is right down the street. This is a new Hickman or Scott Hall as far as aesthetics goes and at least Scott is low rise and Hickman is on the edge of a peripheral campus.
depending on location, say downtown NB, i may have actually liked the current lot 8 project. I just think that its too large for the surroundings and does nothing to tie into the area, ie Voorhees Mall etc.
Personally, nothing about the project really works for me. Even in a different location, I think the exteriors are ugly. There is really no other adjective I can use to describe them - particualry the one on the Somerset St side. and I think the interior courtyard is passed its prime - people want street side restaurants now - not shaded, semi-secluded stuff.
But yes- they are definitely out of place. A generic condo/retail complex from a decade ago plopped down at one of the prime corners on campus. Again - the comparison to the Honors College, the plans for the new quad (if they ever come to pass), or even the new Hillel going up just down the street brings it to a fine point.
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I'm holding my opinions until the finished product. The same criticisms were abound with the Gateway building, and I think that's been a major asset to the community.
Those opinions were less well founded (its a little closer to the existing high rises in NB, its not on the campus, its a more attractive building and design).
As nice as Gateway turned out, a lot of the criticism still stands, such as the exposed parking along George Street
I think for most people the general consensus is it acts more like a bookend than a gateway.
No one can argue that the building looks out of place in the context of Old Queens and the structures on the Mall. I actually like the modern design with the large glass walls in the lounge area. I just hop that some feature is added to distinguish it from being mistaken for an anonymous apartment building on its facade, like a giant fathead™ of the Scarlet Knight or Colonel Henry Rutgers or a Screw.
The Gateway is okay, just average. The Welcome center is pretty bad and the new Business building is downright awful, very awful which will look out of date in 5-10 years.
On the other hand, the Honors College is a home run.
Have to disagree with that. The business building looks absolutely awesome as you approach livingston and enter the campus underneath it. The majority of current students want to live in Livingston because of the redesign of that campus and their dining hall.
But not the BEST dorms or the Honors College. Almost like if we put up ugly or out of place buildings (Lot 8 is both) people dont like them. If you put up nice looking buildings that fit well within their physical context, people like them.
As I think Ive said before - the people who designed Hickman presumably thought they were putting up an awesome building, not an eyesore.
And the Eiffel Tower was originally panned as the Awful Tower.
And I'm sure the people who designed the University of Maryland thought they'd have a beautiful campus, instead of one panned for "whatever you are looking for, it is in the brick building with white columns".
The thing is - its not like this building is like the Business building, where its kind of on the cutting edge of design - like the Eiffel Tower. Its just not attractive in a kind of conventional way.
MD has played it safe and stuck with one motif - which makes it one note - but also - is there anyone who doesnt prefer MDs one note to most of Rutgers failed experiments in design?
And again - we know they can do better - the Honors College is nice, fits in, but inst just a replica of the Barn or the J&J building.
So, can we possibly get an answer from the architect and/or planners as to why this design was chosen? Is it a one-off ( like Scott hall) or is it part of a plan going forward that's to include these design elements on College ave.
And is there any explanation as to what the architect and planners were thinking when Scott hall was approved and built?
Where on CA would these elements be that it would blend in. There is no plan to build up on that end that Ive seen. The stuff they DO plan on building is all the way on the other end of CA.
Good question. With their desire to replace the student center, dining hall, records hall, etc, I'd assume that they wouldn't leave the houses-cum-offices-and-classrooms that have been on college ave for decades as is. In fact, every old building should be demolished on college age but the church and the Barn
Am I the only one that was actually impressed by this building? The building itself is shaping up nicely and I think the Yard will be a very cool place. I still think it looks out of place but then again, both the Vue and the Easton Ave Apartments are close by. I think the students are going to love it.
After looking at it this weekend I think it is shaping up nicely also.
Not real concerned about that. I think it will work in the long run.
I think you are right.
