England Hall
The Honorable John H. England Jr Residence Hall (originally called Freshman Hall or New Freshman Hall) is a 490-bed freshman residence hall located on the site of the former Palmer and Somerville Halls at 2nd Street and McCorvey Drive, near Palmer Lake on the campus of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
The $38 million dormitory ($53 million with furnishings) was designed by VSBA Architects & Planners of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with Williams Blackstock Architects as local architects of record. The project was designed to encourage social interactions, with interior and exterior communal spaces linking with the campus' pedestrian network. The building's Georgian-style exterior is brick with limestone trim to blend with other campus landmarks. It was built by the Caddell Construction Company.
It has 245 double-occupancy rooms, measuring 26.4 by 10.5 feet, each with its own bathroom. Each room is furnished with two extended twin beds with drawers below; study desks, built-in wardrobes, a mini-refrigerator and microwave. Each floor has a shared laundry area, and a communal kitchen and convenience store are located on the ground floor. The basement of the building was designed to serve as a tornado storm shelter with a capacity of 1,607 people.
The building was rededicated in honor of John England Jr by a resolution of the University of Alabama Board of Trustees in February 2019.
References
- Flanagan, Ben (August 10, 2018) "Take a look inside UA's $53 million New Freshman Residence Hall." The Birmingham News
- Johnson, Roy S. (February 9, 2019) "Circuit Judge John H. England, Jr. honored with naming of new University of Alabama freshman dorm." The Birmingham News
External links
- England Hall at housing.sa.ua.edu