Upper campus residence halls (University of Pittsburgh)

Coordinates: 40°26′44″N 79°57′45″W / 40.445526°N 79.962574°W

The upper campus provides dramatic views of the lower campus, including the Cathedral of Learning, seen here from a location near Pennsylvania Hall

The upper campus residence halls at the University of Pittsburgh include Sutherland Hall, Panther Hall, Pennsylvania Hall, the fraternity housing complex, and the Darragh Street Apartments. Among the newest residence facilities at the University of Pittsburgh, these buildings reside on the upper campus located near many of the school's athletic facilities. The upper campus resides approximately 200 feet (61 m) above the lower campus that lies along Forbes and Fifth Avenues, providing dramatic views along the hilltop and slopes.[1] Planning for upper campus student housing originated in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but stalled due to community and political opposition until the early 1990s with opening of Sutherland Hall, the first major student residence constructed by Pitt in 29 years.[2][3]

Sutherland Hall

View of Sutherland Hall at the University of Pittsburgh from the Petersen Events Center prior to the construction of Panther Hall.

Sutherland Hall is a residence hall of the University of Pittsburgh and is located on the upper campus next to the major athletic facilities and the Petersen Events Center. The $24 million[4] ($35.3 million in 2015 dollars[5]) structure opened in 1992.[6] It is named for famed Pitt football coach Jock Sutherland.

Accommodations

Sutherland Hall, providing a view of the entire University (minus much of lower campus, which is shielded by Panther Hall and Pennsylvania Hall), houses 739 students, a majority of which are first-year students. Some of the sports teams, such as the football team. It comprises a ten-floor West wing and an eight-floor East wing, adjoined by a commons building. The air-conditioned rooms are mostly doubles with semi-private baths, and larger suites. There is a TV lounge and study room on each floor.

The East and West wings of Sutherland Hall share a commons area complete with The Perch, a small dining hall, Hill o' Beans coffee cart, a computer center, and a student mail center. There is a fitness center, laundry facility, and meeting room on the ground floor of each wing.

Living Learning Communities

Sutherland Hall commons building

The College of Business Administration Living Learning Community and the University Honors College program for first-year men and women are located in Sutherland Hall.[7] A resident director, an assistant hall director, a program coordinator, and 16 resident assistants are on staff. Previously, a Math and Physical Science Living Learning Community had been located in Sutherland.

In 2008, a $3.3 million renovation of The Perch, Sutherland Hall's main food service area which serves as the primary dining venue for students on Pitt’s upper campus, created an area similar to the Market Central dining area in Litchfield Towers and introducing made-to-order services inducing Red Hot Chef, Hilltop Grille, Mato's deli, and an ice cream and breakfast bar.[8]

Sutherland Hall external links

Jock Sutherland
Preceded by
Cost Sports Center		 University of Pittsburgh Buildings
Sutherland Hall
Constructed: 1992 		Succeeded by
Bouquet Gardens

Pennsylvania Hall

Pennsylvania Hall, a residence hall at the University of Pittsburgh.

Pennsylvania Hall, opened in 2004, is one of the newest residence halls at the University of Pittsburgh. Designed by Perkins Eastman Architects, its construction cost $22.1 million.[9] It is located on the upper campus adjacent to the Petersen Events Center, having nine floors and housing 420 men and women, primarily upperclass students, in air-conditioned four-person suites and doubles with private baths. An open lounge and laundry facilities are on every floor, and the commons area contains The Pennsylvania Perk coffee cart, a fitness center, a meeting room, and a student mail center.

Pennsylvania Hall houses Living Learning Communities for the French Language and Culture, the Italian Language and Culture, Leadership, and Pre Law.[7] A resident director, a program coordinator, and seven resident assistants are on staff.[10]

Pennsylvania Hall sits on the site of the former medical school building, also called Pennsylvania Hall, constructed in 1910 (dedicated in January 1911) and demolished in late November 1998.[11][12] It was one of only four buildings of the school's original acropolis campus plan to be constructed.[13]

Pennsylvania Hall external links

Preceded by
Petersen Events Center		 University of Pittsburgh Buildings
Pennsylvania Hall
Constructed: 2004 		Succeeded by
Panther Hall

Panther Hall

Panther Hall at the University of Pittsburgh.

Panther Hall, opened in 2006, is one of the newest residence halls at the University of Pittsburgh. Designed by Perkins Eastman Architects, its construction cost $33.2 million.[14] It is located on the upper campus adjacent to the Petersen Events Center and just west of Pennsylvania Hall, it is ten-floors and houses 511 men and women, primarily upperclass students, in air-conditioned rooms that are a combination of three- and five-person suites, and doubles with private baths.

An open lounge, study area, and laundry facilities are on every floor, and the commons area contains Thirst & 10 coffee cart, a fitness center, a meeting room, and a student mail center.

Panther Hall houses six Living Learning Communities: Civic Engagement and Community Service, the Entrepreneurial Experience, Natural Science Research, Social Science Research, Upper-class Engineering, and Multicultural Affairs.[7] A resident director, a program coordinator, and ten resident assistants are on staff.[15]

Panther Hall external links

Preceded by
Pennsylvania Hall		 University of Pittsburgh Buildings
Panther Hall
Constructed: 2006 		Succeeded by
Darragh Street Apartments

Fraternity Housing Complex

One of the on-campus fraternity housing complex units.

The University of Pittsburgh’s fraternities are located in both on- and off-campus housing. The fraternities with on-campus housing can be found on the hill near Sutherland Hall and between Panther Hall and the Falk School. Students commonly refer to the fraternity houses as “the hill houses.”[16] The fraternity housing complex was constructed at a cost of approximately $450,000 ($1.07 million) for each of the eight units that opened in the fall of 1984.[17] Each unit has an occupancy of 25 students. The original eight fraternities that occupied the complex were Delta Tau Delta, Sigma Chi, Phi Kappa Theta, Zeta Beta Tau, Pi Kappa Alpha, Theta Chi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and Delta Sigma Delta.[17] Currently, seven of Pitt’s undergraduate fraternities occupy the buildings on the hill.[16]

Darragh Street Apartments

Darragh Street Apartments

The Darragh Street Apartments are an on-campus apartment complex consisting of four four-story buildings that provide preferred housing for Pitt's medical students adjacent to the medical school's Scaife Hall, Salk Hall, and the main hospitals of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Designed by Renaissance 3 Architects,[18] the housing complex totals 99,400 square feet (9,230 m2) and contains 184 beds in one- and two-bedroom garden-style apartments. The complex was completed September 2007 for $18.2 million. The construction of the medical student housing on Darragh Street allowed the University to renovate Ruskin Hall, the former medical school residential complex, for undergraduate housing.

Darragh Street Apartments external links

Preceded by
Panther Hall		 University of Pittsburgh Buildings
Darragh Street Apartments
Constructed: 2007 		Succeeded by
Petersen Sports Complex

Gallery

References

  1. ↑ University of Pittsburgh Facilities Management Division; MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, Inc. (2010-01-29), Proposed Institutional Master Plan Update University of Pittsburgh (Final Draft) (PDF), University of Pittsburgh, pp. 43–45, retrieved 2011-01-23
  2. ↑ "The University of Pittsburgh and the Oakland Neighborhood: From Conflict to Cooperation, or How the 800 Pound Gorilla Learned to Sit with -- and not on -- its Neighbors" (PDF). Sabina Deitrick and Tracy Soska. 2003. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
  3. ↑ Perry, David C. and Wiewel Wim (eds) (2005). The University as Urban Developer: Case Studies and Analysis. Cambridge, MA: Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. ISBN 0-7656-1641-6.
  4. ↑ Barnes, Tom (1995-01-25). "Pitt plans dormitory on 5th Ave.". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2011-07-13.
  5. ↑ Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–2014. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Tour Pitt: Sutherland Hall". Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved 2010-10-23.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Panther Central: Residence Hall Living (PDF). University of Pittsburgh. 2011. p. 23. Retrieved 2011-08-11.
  8. ↑ Kimberly K. Barlow & Peter Hart, What's New? Places, University Times, Vol 41, No. 1, Aug 28, 2008; University of Pittsburgh, accessdate=2008-28-08
  9. ↑ University Times
  10. ↑ Pennsylvania Hall Overview, University of Pittsburgh, www.pitt.edu
  11. ↑ Documenting Pitt
  12. ↑ University Times
  13. ↑ Alberts, Robert C. (1986). Pitt: The Story of the University of Pittsburgh 1787–1987. University of Pittsburgh Press. xi. ISBN 0-8229-1150-7.
  14. ↑ "New dorm, purchase of University Club approved". University Times. 2005. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
  15. ↑ New Residence Hall
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Fraternity Complex". University of PIttsburgh Housing Services. August 9, 2012. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Gillespie, Mary; Mann, Larry, eds. (1984). Panther Prints, 1984 79. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh. pp. 18, 320–321. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
  18. ↑ Tedco: Darragh Street Housing, 2006, accessdate=2008-08-15

External links