Follow the yellow brick…buildings? Pitt’s endowments yield lackluster structures

What do Lothrop Hall, Allen Hall, Alumni Hall, Amos Hall, Bellefield Hall, Brackenridge Hall and Bruce Hall have in common? All were built before 1925.

Is it worth it for students to pay $3,250 a semester to live on campus in buildings that were built almost 100 years ago?

Of course, some student housing options — such as Lothrop, Amos, Bruce and Brackenridge — have seen renovations. Rooms in Lothrop Hall, for example, are newly carpeted, have built-in sinks and contain decently large closets. 

Still, the exteriors of these dormitories are far from modern. Buildings on Pitt’s campus generally sport the same bland building material — yellow brick. 

Pitt had an opportunity to “wow” people in Pittsburgh recently with incredible architecture, but instead, built Nordenberg Hall, an average-looking building — disregarding the interior, which is quite favorable, reminiscent of a nice hotel. Completed in 2013,  Nordenberg has a laundry room on every floor, air-conditioning in every room, two study lounges per floor, two music practice rooms, flat-screen televisions in each unit, a fitness center and wireless internet throughout the building. 

But the exterior makes the building look as plain as the Schenley Quad — again, all yellow brick. 

The New School in Manhattan had an opportunity for a new building on its campus recently, too. The 16-story building, which opened in January, offers brand new classrooms, a library, a cafeteria and cafes, room for 600 student residences and spaces that promote working together.

The exterior is extremely futuristic and gives people walking by something to look at. The library looks out on a green roof, while smart lighting and climate control save water, energy and waste, earning the building a LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Students want to live and learn in modern buildings, like the one at The New School. Millennials crave new, frontier technology. For the high cost of housing and tuition, students expect to have the best amenities.

Speaking of costs, The New School has an endowment of $200 million.

The University of Pittsburgh has an endowment of $2.98 billion. Yes, billion with a B.

A school’s endowment represents the school’s purchasing power. All donations and other financial assets are included in this calculation, and the sole purpose is to invest it.

When looking at endowment alone, Pitt ranks close to NYU, Brown, Penn State, University of Richmond, Johns Hopkins and Ohio State. However, these schools have been significantly more attentive to renovation and expansion.

NYU has a brand new student center and a nicely renovated library spread over one of the most expensive real estate areas of the largest metropolis in the United States. Penn State has a 21,000 square foot building for Smeal College of Business, and when walking around Johns Hopkins, the 105,000 square foot facility, built in 2013, which houses all of the science departments, is incredible.

That isn’t to say that Pitt hasn’t done a good job in renovations in some respects.

Pennsylvania Hall, Panther Hall and the Peterson Event Center are all newly renovated and in impressive condition, favored by students that get picked first in the upperclassmen lottery process for housing. PA and Panther Hall offer new air conditioned rooms, study lounges and very modern architecture to upper campus. The Pete gives students a happy place to either work out or grab a bite to eat, while radiating light shines through the all-glass facade.

Nevertheless, Pitt should work to provide more modern learning and living spaces for its students. To attract more hopefuls, through showing the value of endowments, Pitt should invest in new, aesthetically pleasing buildings. In this way, Pitt can have glossier images associated with the school, prime subjects for parents and prospective students, alike, to fawn over while on tours. The Cathedral brought, and will continue to bring, incredible coverage for the school, but who is to say that we cannot build another great academic building?

The demand is there, the school just needs to supply.

Write to Elias at EPE1@pitt.edu