Southwest

The Southwest Residential Area, the largest on the UMass Amherst campus, houses 5,500 students in its five high-rise towers and eleven low-rise residence halls. Over 50% of on-campus residents at UMass live in Southwest. It is bounded on the north by Massachusetts Avenue, on the west by University Drive, on the south by Fearing Street, and on the east by Sunset Avenue. The area has a more urban feel than the rest of campus, and the community spirit in Southwest is lively and active. Southwest is known for being the epicenter of a number of sports-related disturbances, termed "riots" by some.

Southwest houses Berkshire and Hampshire Dining Commons, two of the four campus dining commons. Berkshire was renovated in 2006.

All of the residence halls in Southwest are coed with some all-male and all-female floors available.

Southwest as seen from University Drive

[edit] Features of Southwest

Points of interest in Southwest include the Hampden Student Center which contains a mini-store, art gallery and snack bar; the Southwest Area Government office; the Latin American Cultural Center; Berkshire Dining Commons which houses the Malcolm X Cultural Center; the Hampshire Dining Commons; and the Residence Life Resource Center located in Moore Hall. Residential Wellness Centers are located in in John Quincy Adams and Washington Halls

[edit] Living and Learning Communities

• First Year Experience: Global Perspectives located in Pierpont and Moore Halls
• First Year Experience: Health and Wellness located in James and Emerson Halls
• First Year Experience: Pop Culture located in Kennedy Hall
• First Year Experience: Enterprise and Action located in Melville and Thoreau Halls
• Harambee Program for students of African heritage in Coolidge Hall

Several First-Year Residential Academic Programs (RAPs) are also offered within the Southwest area including:

• General Education programs in Pierpont, Moore, Patterson and Coolidge Halls
• Talent Advancement Programs (TAPs) in John Adams, Washington and Cance Halls

[edit] Special Living Options

• Nine-Month Residence Hall in Crampton Hall
• 24-Hour Quiet Floors in John Quincy Adams Hall

Taken from the University of Massachusetts Amherst Residence Life webpage (http://www.housing.umass.edu/reshalls/southwest.html)

[edit] Buildings

Southwest at sunset. (Courtesy Oliver Scott)

View from Haigis Mall in 1966, prior to Isenberg's construction)

Coolidge and JFK (?) under construction with Hampshire DC in the foreground

[edit] Rooms

The rooms in southwest vary depending on the building.

There are Z-rooms typical to all five towers, as well as James, Emerson, Melville, and Thoreau. Z-rooms are comprised of two smaller parts, which allows for more privacy between roomate or for them to clearly distinguish between the sleep/study area and the lounge area. There are ten z-rooms per tower floor, along with four corner rooms and four 'tower singles'. Corner rooms are about the same size as a typical northeast room, with the one window facing another corner room window on the same floor. These rooms are doubled and tend to get cramped. A 'tower single' is basically a the bigger part of a z-room, the one with the windows, essentially making it have a hallway with a wardrobe and mirror, and then the room with a bed, desk, and chair.

Rooms typical to Southwest low rises sometimes have slight variation in size but are generally the same. They tend to be spacious with the two wardrobes on either side right at the entry.

A few triples can be found in some Southwest low rises.

[edit] Architecture/Construction

Southwest Residential Area was built between 1964-1966. The architect was the renowned Hugh A. Stubbins, who also designed Citicorp Center in New York City, among other buildings.

The area was designed to supply the campus with sufficient room for the influx of students in the 1960's. Six 205 foot towers were originally planned, but only five were built because of financial problems, and the lack of student interest in commuting to the ground by elevator. The towers cannot be seen from the center of town.

[edit] Scene

Longtime residents of Southwest state that living there is like living in an entirely separate city, that the high-density, high-volume population is possibly the most diverse region of campus; socially and ethnically, and that anyone can find a niche. The area has an urban feel, and being located so close to the athletic fields, has a high population of student athletes.

[edit] Trivia

Legend has it that Hampden was to be a sixth tower, but that construction problems caused it to be re-made as a low rise, non-residential building. Others dispute this.[1]