RIPON, Wis. – The Ripon College Office of Residence Life will host an open house of its brand-new residence hall, Campus Apartments, Friday, Aug. 3 from 2-4 p.m. All members of the Ripon community are welcome to attend.

Fifty-six upperclassmen will call the 29,000-square-foot building home this fall, the first ground-up construction on campus since the Rodman Center for the Arts in 1972. It boasts 14 four-bedroom units, each with its own kitchen and lavatory, and wireless Internet access throughout. Construction began last September.

“The opening of this residence hall ushers in an exciting new time for the College,” said Josh De War, director of Residence Life. “The beauty and functionality of the building combine to make it one of the jewels of this campus. Students cannot wait to move in, and I can hardly blame them; we have created an amazing space that will help them continue to develop and grow in a modern and attractive atmosphere.”

The greatest architectural challenge, said Del Wilson of Milwaukee’s Uihlein-Wilson Architects, was to address the needs of the contemporary college student while complementing the fabric and history of the Ripon campus and being sympathetic to the scale of the surrounding homes. This was only possible, he says, through a strong collaboration between Uihlein-Wilson, Boldt Construction of Appleton and College administrators.

“Contemporary student housing always seeks the right balance between community and privacy, ultimately articulated by designers and constructors in three dimensions,” said Wilson. “The project’s success will be a testament to the leadership, intense collaboration and creativity that happens when an owner, architect and constructor enjoy working together for the benefit of students.”

This approach, Wilson added, produced a design and construction team closely attuned to the needs of the campus from start to finish. The result was an on-time, on-budget project of extremely high quality. It strikes the right balance between community and privacy, while being low-maintenance and energy-efficient.

“The new residence hall will give our students a taste of modern, apartment-style housing while helping us prepare to meet increased enrollment targets,” said Joyce. “It’s the biggest of many exciting improvements underway for Ripon College facilities.”

Most recently, Uihlein-Wilson designed UW-Madison’s new 615-student Dayton Street Residence Hall, also opening this fall. They also worked on a 500-bed renovation of UW-Oshkosh’s Taylor Hall, which recently completed its first full year in operation and has become the preferred hall on that campus.

Questions about the Campus Apartments or open house may be addressed to the Office of Residence Life, (920) 748-8146.

About Ripon College
Ripon College, founded in 1851, prepares students of diverse interests for lives of productive, socially responsible citizenship. Ripon’s liberal arts curriculum and residential campus create an intimate learning community in which students experience a richly personalized education. Ripon has been recognized as a “best value” and “Best 361 College” by The Princeton Review, a “Best Buy in College Education” by Barron’s, and among the 160 best schools in the nation by Colleges of Distinction. For more information about Ripon College, visit www.ripon.edu.