<p>"A guiding premise is that art students are different from other students. For one thing, they arrive with an inordinate amount of things -- far more than the standard laptops, storage cubes, and collapsible laundry baskets that are the mainstay of college life -- such as ''frames, canvases, models, sculpture," Janes says. Plus, ''if they're walking down a street and see something in a dumpster, it's going to come back to the room and turn into someone's art project."</p>
<p>Pretty impressive. But of course there are no people in the pictures, and once those students get into the dorms they will definitely move things around and clutter things up.</p>
<p>RISD badly needed more dorm space. Though all first year students lived in on-campus dorms, after that most had to forage for housing (some owned or controlled by RISD).</p>
<p>This isn't the first time that RISD faculty did the redesign of acquired space. They've done a wonderful job with several buildings. Recently RISD has extended its reach across the river, and this 15 West is but the latest example.</p>
<p>I saw the the new RISD dorm at 15 Westminster first hand this past week. My daughter was able to move in early because she is helping with the freshman orientation. 15 West is an incredible living space. My daughter's single room is unusually spacious. The project's interior designer visited the building this week and came into her room. She told my daughter that she was very pleased with the renovation and her design. Apparently RISD was looking or is looking at constructing a residence hall up the hill, but they could never afford the tall ceilings and large windows of 15 West. The library will open next fall. From what I could see through the closed doors, the library will also be a "showcase". I'm a little jealous...wishing I were in college again!</p>
<p>This past Saturday, as part of Parents Weekend activities, I had the opportunity to attend the presentation by RISD staff/faculty/alumni involved in the renovation of the historic Hospital Trust Building into a 500-student dorm and then take a tour of the facility. The suites and apartments in 15 West (as the building is known, from its address at 15 Westminster Street) are absolutely incredible -- way beyond your typical dorm room! Very spacious and comfortable, yet still sort of funky because they were designed with art/design students in mind. Most of the rooms have fantastic views of downtown Providence and/or the riverfront promenade. I would love to live there -- and that certainly was not true of my own undergraduate dorm experience!</p>
<p>A 100-seat cafe is located on the first floor and has already opened for business; it is one of several options included under RISD's meal plan. The remainder of the first floor, as well as the second floor, is still being renovated. This space is a former banking hall (with 40-foot mural ceilings, marble columns,etc.) that will house the RISD library starting next fall. </p>
<p>With these new beds, RISD can accommodate nearly 2/3 of its student population. (Freshmen and sophomores are now required to live on campus.) This has reinforced what I feel is one of RISD's most appealing aspects -- a true "campus atmosphere", with students living and working on campus 24 hours a day. This seems to be a rarity among most stand-alone art schools, which are either commuter schools or have just a few buildings in the midst of a highly urbanized environment.</p>
<p>I encourage anyone visiting RISD to take a look at 15 West. Building security is tight (guard on duty at the front desk, card access required to operate the elevators, etc.) so you will need to make arrangements with the Admissions Office, or a current resident, if you know one. I think you'll be impressed.</p>
<p>I must find a way to visit there again and to "break into" 15 West. I really miss Providence now that my daughter has graduated (2003). We always went to the Parents Weekends. Providence has so many fine restaurants, too.</p>