Groundbreaking held for new Columbia Law School residence

Real Estate Weekly, March 20, 2002

A groundbreaking ceremony was held recently for the much-anticipated new Columbia Law School residence, named for graduate Gerry Lenfest. Located at a site near Columbia's main campus, the residence hail is designed by noted New York architects Gruzen Samton.

The distinctive 16-story structure, to be known as Lenfest Hall, will provide 211 apartments and feature shared amenities such as lounges, seminar rooms, and recreation spaces. Guided by the goal to create a new student community that is architecturally compatible with the surrounding residential neighborhood, Gruzen Samton has created a building that forms a composition similar in spirit and detail to adjacent structures, some of which date back to the early 20th century.

Lenfest Hall will provide studios, one- and two-bedroom rental units, to be offered with three-year leases. The concept of a dedicated law school residence is unique at Columbia, where students' and visiting faculty's quarters are typically dispersed throughout the campus. Edward I. Moroni, associate dean, states, "With housing scarce near Columbia's campus, this building will enhance our ability to attract students and offer them first class housing at reasonable market rates."

Each residence will have a full-service kitchen with range, sink, microwave, and refrigerator. Living rooms and bedrooms are planned to allow residents flexibility to create their own furniture arrangements using modular desks, tables, shelving, and storage units. Students living in Lenfest Hall will benefit from a number of special common areas. These include a multifunctional lounge, seminar rooms, group study areas, a series of recreational spaces with pool and ping-pong tables, and a private garden.

In describing the design concept for the exterior of the building, Scott Keller, Gruzen Samton's partner-in-charge of the project states, "for developing the building's volume, shape, and materials, we've been guided by the important need to integrate it into the neighborhood. We've designed a seven-story base of granite, limestone, and brick that holds the street wall of adjacent buildings."