University Will Build Married Students' Dorm

The University has decided on a site and an architect for a group of dormitories to house married students. Construction should start in 14 to 18 months.

Land fronting the river below Dunster House will be used for the buildings. When completed, they will contain at least 400 apartments and cover about eight acres.

The total cost of the project will lie in the $8-10 million range, according to L. Gard Wiggins, administrative vice-president.

Wiggins pointed out last night that the University already owns enough land to make the project possible. The only plot immediately below Dunster not controlled by the College is the Corporal Burns playground, which the administration has in the past offered to trade for land further down the river.

The 400 apartments will be distributed in "several buildings," Wiggins said, but he refused any exact descriptions until after the architect's plans have been released. The firm of Sert, Jackson, and Gourley will design the dormitories.

Contacted yesterday, Jose Luis Sert said that he was "just starting to think about" the projects, and had no definite ideas. He emphasized that although the Office of Planning Coordination has been gathering information as to what sort of building is needed, his firm has made no measurements on the site or other formal preliminary steps. Sert, Dean of the Faculty of Design, said no estimate on the date of completion could be made at this point.

Housing Questionnaire

Last March the Planning Office distributed a questionnaire to the 7,300 students and junior Faculty members not living in regular dormitories. Questions covered two general areas--present housing arangements, and preference for different plans under consideration. The tabulated response will be a fundamental guide in the design of the new apartments.

The construction of a married students' dormitory has received high priority ever since 1956, when President Pusey noted the "hapless situation" of married students in his annual report.