Awful design

Holy shit. If you don’t like clicking links, it’s a planned dormitory that will house 4500 students in mostly windowless space, with only two entrances.

I spent two nights in a hotel room in London that had no windows, because it was 1/3 the cost of the next cheapest room I could find that would be reasonably convenient. And… for two days, it was worth it. But it was weird. I would become ill if I lived in a place like that, I think. My current bedroom has a window to the east and lets in the sunrise, which helps keep my circadian cycle on track.

Even ignoring the lack of light, I’m surprised the fire code will allow this.

The worst part was that the design was done by 97 year old billionaire investor who agreed to donate 200M (out of a 1.5B price tag) if and only if they used his design. The school seems to have agreed to build it and not turn down the 200M donation, but experts are balking at the idea. The design is to give each student a tiny private room (basically a bed and a desk) in a “pod” of several tiny rooms built around a communal room. It’s a design used in prison construction.

It’s a douchebag move to give an ultimatum “do it my stupid way or you can’t have my money”

A tiny private room in a “pod” of 8 with a common area doesn’t sound horrible. It’s the “no natural light” and “few entrances” that freak me out.

Yeah, it’s not a dorm. It’s a cell block.

It’s not a design that will foster interaction between students. It’s design to lock introverts into a lightless cage.

“Suicides by jumping out of windows are down…”

I honestly don’t remember if my dorm room had windows, and I had two roommates. I think college students are pretty oblivious to these things. Having windows is a very adult thing to appreciate.

It’s true, that’s why the average age of B4 consultants is somewhere in the 20s.

and why many college students live happily in basements

even those usually have that little window where you can see people’s feet and dogs peeing against the wall thing going on

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When I see the word “suite”, I expect windows and space!!! :judge:

This is happening where I work (and went to school). Going to be interesting to see if they actually build this monstrosity. If they do it will really change the laid back vibe here.

Is that Charles Munger the same Berkshire Hathaway Charlie Munger?

It’s impressive that this elevated court kept taking people out even after people saw the first few go down. https://twitter.com/ramseyboltin/status/1454893531974311936?t=wXyTH5oB003du9_PWFE6Rw&s=19

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How did so many people watch those in front of them trip, then manage to trip themselves?

Sheldon: Do you want to hear an interesting thing about stairs?
Leonard: Not really!
Sheldon: If the height of a step is off by as little as two millimeters, most people will trip.
Leonard: I don’t care. 2 millime–? That doesn’t seem right.
Sheldon: It’s true. I did a series of experiments when I was 12. My father broke his clavicle.
Leonard: Is that why they sent you to boarding school?
Sheldon: No. That was the result of my work with lasers.

“…is just a bunch of crazy suppositions by an ignorant man.”

Says munger. Man, this guy’s self confidence is jarring compared to most interviews I’ve read from buffet.

He sounds crazy and arrogant.


Figure 2
Incidence rates of dementia by age group, comparing men vs women

Oh sorry, Munger is 97, and well off the age scale for this graph.

I assume UCSB is just going to wait for Munger to die rather than tell him outright that no, they’re not doing this insane thing. I mean, he’s gotta die within 10 years, right?

That was my thought too. I’m sure they have a back-up plan ready to go.

Wow, not only are the dorm rooms windowless, but single occupancy too. There is a 0% chance I’d ever live there are a college student. I’d sooner transfer.