Room with a View

An aerial view of the new Lakeview dorm and South Housing on Thursday, August 1, 2024. Photo by Nathan Gray, Furman University.

When Furman University kicked off the South Housing construction and renovation project in 2022, the move was more than an investment in a major capital project. South Housing, including Lakeview Hall completed in August, would come to represent a tangible and visible extension of Furman’s core institutional values and priorities. 

The South Housing complex is a blend of new construction – the new Lakeview Hall, which also serves as the new home for the Center for Interpersonal Connections (CIC) – and renovations to four residence halls in SoHo: Geer, Manly, Poteat and McGlothlin. The project also will see the August 2025 demolition of Blackwell Hall, named for beloved former President Gordon Blackwell ’32, who served from 1965 to 1976. The university is seeking a way to pay tribute to his legacy in another space on campus.  

“The main objective for South Housing is to provide a common entry point for all first-year students so they transition to college together and begin forging and developing that class identity,” says Ron Thompson, associate dean of students and director of Housing and Residence Life. He and his staff welcomed about 200 first-year students into the new residence hall. They’re excited to see how the built environment contributes to overall belonging and success for students.  

The phrase “see and be seen” is a guiding principle in the new building and renovations, he says. So, there’s abundant natural light, there are flexible, open workspaces and areas for gathering both indoors and out.  

In Lakeview Hall, a commercial-grade kitchen invites students to share meals together, especially important for students who don’t leave campus during breaks.  

Cam Johnson ’28 moves into his dorm room into Lakeview Hall during move-in day on Thursday, August 22, 2024. Photo by Nathan Gray, Furman University.

“They might be athletes, international students or students who are housing insecure. The kitchens in Lakeview and in the renovated buildings provide a real opportunity for students to feel more at home when they’re here over break,” Thompson says, adding that Lakeview’s kitchen will host catering service Bon Appétit to lead cooking classes and other culinary programs for students. 

An airy, main level laundry facility in a high-traffic area, not tucked away in a basement, also helps students see each other in their living space, which provides a sense of home, a sense of place and a sense of belongingness, Thompson says. “That two-way interaction accelerates relationship development, too. And we know that when a student has a person and a purpose while they’re here, they’re much more likely to persist and feel a high degree of affinity with Furman.” 

Placing the CIC in Lakeview Hall amplifies student-to-student interaction and further underscores university values, Thompson says.  

In addition to having a larger footprint than its former home in the Trone Student Center, “the CIC is boardwalk property,” he says. “This is a place that’s designed so students can walk in and have spaces where they can gather, where they can meet in groups, large or small. The lounge portion of the space and outdoor reception area look out toward the lake and the Bell Tower, and it creates a really terrific vibe of inclusion and institutional commitment to all students.” 

Franklin Ellis, associate dean and director of the CIC, says the central placement speaks volumes. “The fact that the office is in a first-year hall gives us a great opportunity to assist students with acquiring interpersonal skills that will allow them to navigate and compete in a global market.” 

Football team members help move students into Lakeview Hall during move-in day on Thursday, August 22, 2024. Photo by Nathan Gray, Furman University.

“I think having the CIC in South Housing will draw more of the Furman community in, which is a beautiful thing,” says Carly Bailey ’16, associate director of Admissions, who lived in South Housing as a student. “I think it will bring our community closer together.” 

Bailey says the fact that Furman is 100% residential allays many students’ uncertainties about housing. “That’s unique for Furman and it fosters a special sense of safety and community. On tours we show a residence in South Housing and an apartment in North Village,” she says, to give students a sense of what they’ll experience at the beginning of their journey as first-years and what they’ll see as seniors. 

Pointing out that many universities don’t show housing at all on tours, Bailey says her office hears a lot of praise from parents and prospective students for including housing in the campus visit. 

“While we are excited about our new residence hall, we want incoming students to know that there are many other great living spaces on campus,” she adds. 

Charlotte Bevin ’27 of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, lived in Poteat Hall when she arrived on campus, and she now lives in Gambrell. Renovation of Poteat and McGlothlin halls began in May 2024 with student move-in expected in January 2025, when renovation of Geer and Manly will commence. Geer and Manly are targeted for completion by August 2025. “I was so sad to leave Poteat,” Bevin says. She and her roommate became fast friends and are roommates again this year. 

From left, Benjamin Spitulnik, Benjamin Tetrault and Branch Blunt kick a soccer ball together outside of Lakeview Hall on Friday evening, August 23, 2024. Photo by Nathan Gray, Furman University.

Bevin, a Furman ambassador, says, “It can be scary coming into college and living somewhere completely new. But here, because everyone’s residential, you naturally get to know your peers on your hall. And stepping outside the dorm, I always run into someone I know, which is so fun.” 

Bevin is thrilled to show off features of the newer spaces like Lakeview’s curved design and copious windows. Thompson says the “ribbon” design and natural light of Lakeview lend an organic feel to the space and “invite activity, energy and movement.” Outside the entrance to Lakeview, the earthen classroom with its grassy, amphitheater-style seating carries the organic theme outdoors and creates a perfect setting for Pathways Program workshops, orientation events and other meetings. 

In line with construction standards across the industry, the bathrooms incorporate a “wet core” design, giving students ultimate privacy. Amenities like the bathroom design, laundry facilities and commercial-grade kitchens will be mirrored across South Housing. 

For Thompson, the South Housing project is like bringing a new member into the family. He couldn’t be prouder.  

“The plan is for South Housing to serve as the first-year experience for all Furman students,” he says. “Furman has a longstanding tradition of students living on campus, and that residential experience supports everything they come here to do, which is why this project is so important and is happening now.”  

“Our students have evolved, and their needs and lifestyles have changed. So, it’s important that we’re building a space that not only satisfies today’s undergrads, but also those who follow. We are looking forward to seeing how this project reinforces the continued development of our students throughout the coming decades.”