Renovations to Brown Hall were completed Aug. 10, two weeks before students moved into the residence hall. 

Brown Hall, built in 1959, was transformed. The building has a new center link that connects each floor together, new kitchens and laundry stations on each floor, centralized air conditioning and heating units in each room and an elevator in the center link because of the year-long renovation project.

The sidewalk construction going on the north side of the dorm hall is a “separate project” and will be completed by November.

       Sonya Zybaylova, junior journalism major and Brown Hall community assistant, is making the best out of the new renovations.

“I think people now feel more welcome here and there’s more space for people to come hang out, even though we’re not quite done yet but once the furniture gets here there will be some possibilities to do some stuff,” Zybaylova said.

According to Bryan Bisson, assistant director of housing facilities, the project was completed on time and within budget.

One key aspect staff in the Residential Life office kept in mind with these renovations was catering to those with disabilities. Brown Hall not only has elevator access for people who are disabled but also has accessible rooms for people with disabilities and who require a living assistant.

“We have two rooms per floor that have a door between a standard student room and a room that would be designated for the living assistant,” Bisson said. 

This feature is only found in Brown Hall. 

The center link between each floor allows students to more easily visit people on the other side of the buildings. Students previously had to go through the first floor center link and walk up flights up stairs.

Bisson agreed the first floor center link disconnected students from one side to the other, and that the new center link will help students engage more with one another.

 “If you had friends on fourth floor on one side and ones on the other fourth floor tower side, it wasn’t a convenient way of moving back and forth,” Bisson said.

Dylan Monson, sophomore broadcast major, thinks the renovations will create a more welcoming atmosphere.

      “(The renovations) will improve student interaction, it also makes the building look newer and has a different feel, it’s a nice bright lobby and it adds some polish to it. I think it was needed,” Monson said.

Students, however, have noticed a few things they don’t like about the renovations.

Monson believes not all dorms should have these renovations because they “jacked up the rates” to pay for them. He believes there should still be some more affordable dorms to live in on campus.

Another downside to the renovation is that the Brown Hall haunted house will no longer be an event on Halloween since the basement of the dorm is now used as a mechanical room, Zybaylova said.

Looking ahead, SDSU does not have any dorm room renovation plans set in place. However, school officials would like to consider more renovations in the future, Bisson said.

“If budget allows, these are definitely things we would like to incorporate into the older buildings,” Bisson said. “I think anytime we do a renovation, whether it be a residential hall or a campus facility, it shows students and the community that we’re trying to give the best experience to our residents and students.”