Revised Design of Controversial Munger Hall Seeks Approval

As reported at Daily Nexus, the newspaper of UC Santa Barbara (h/t Archinect), the updated design was revealed "as UCSB prepares to release the long-awaited Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for Munger Hall, after which the dormitory will seek approval from the University of California Board of Regents and the California Coastal Commission — necessary steps before construction can begin." Estimates indicate a construction start next year, if approvals go smoothly, with the building opening in 2026. No date of the EIR is indicated in the report.

When unveiled last year, the proposed Munger Hall indicated approximately 4,500 single-person dorm rooms, nearly fulfilling the 5,000 beds mandated by the university's Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) for completion by 2025. The updated design, now two stories shorter, provides 3,500 beds, enabled by figuring two dorms built around five years ago into the target, per Daily Nexus.

A short UCSB fly-through (above) of the revised design shows the rooftop courtyard, "reading room," multipurpose classroom, fitness center, convenience store, recreation room, and pub, but omits the dorm rooms that are the source of the initial controversy. Per the floor plans included in our November 2021 story, about half of the perimeter windows are dedicated to the "great rooms" of the "houses" (8 per floor), which in turn consist of 8 "bedroom clusters" with 8 windowless dorm rooms. The new images do not indicate any change to this controversial layout, which is legal per the California Building Standards Code when mechanical ventilation and "virtual windows" are provided in lieu of fresh air and natural light.