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Photo by Jessica Lum

Incoming and returning UCLA students will be able to move into the recently renovated Sproul Hall starting fall quarter. The building will tentatively reopen on July 27.

After two years of renovations, Sproul Hall will reopen this summer with a new, environmentally sustainable interior design.

UCLA students will be able to move into Sproul, which has 1,097 beds, during the regular fall move-in week.

Angelis said that students will be pleased with the new look of Sproul, as housing services took student input into its contemporary design standards.

“We have ... a completely new look, boasting beautiful restrooms, built-in closets, modernized infrastructure, double-pane windows, an upgraded heating system, and state-of-the-art lighting,” Angelis said.

The tentative date of Sproul’s reopening is July 27, said Peter Angelis, the assistant vice chancellor for housing and hospitality services. Summer conference attendees will be the first to live in Sproul during the month of August.

Barbara Wilson, the associate director for room operations, said Sproul will also contain some new sustainable components.

“We have added exterior solar sunshades, which allows the building to act as its own natural shading system, reducing the need for mechanical cooling systems. We also implemented controlled heating, blackout drapes, and low-flow toilets and showers,” Wilson said.

The furniture inside Sproul rooms will be completely new and sustainable, Wilson added.

“The wood is from sustainable forests and manufactured to environmentally responsible standards,” she said.

Sproul Hall was closed down for its renovations in 2006 after operating for 47 years.

Shortly after Sproul reopens, renovations on Rieber Hall will begin, starting in mid-August, Angelis said.

The scheduled completion date for Rieber is May 2010. Angelis added that Hedrick Hall is expected to close in summer 2010 and reopen in July 2012, while Dykstra Hall will close in September 2011 and reopen by August 2013.

The renovations at the three other residence halls, which have operated since the 1960s, will consist of renovations similar to that of Sproul.

“We are committed to maintaining a regular refurbishment of our high rises to ensure that we keep our quality standards high,” Angelis said.

Wilson said the upcoming renovation of Rieber Hall will see special attention and care to sustainable standards.

She added that the renovation will install recyclable materials and carpeting, have light sensors in lounges that turn off and on by themselves, and house a plumbing system that is 20 percent more efficient.

As the residence halls undergo their renovations, the attached dining halls will also see some changes.

Rieber’s dining hall will remain open during the 2008-2009 academic year, despite the renovations in Rieber Hall. The renovation of the dining hall will begin at the end of the fall 2009 quarter, Angelis said.

“(During the renovation) the amount of glass will be increased to leverage an expansive view that this higher elevated dining commons commands of the south and southeast. Students will enjoy the view and dine in a more attractive interior environment,” he said.

Craig St. Louis, the associate director of dining services, said that when Rieber‘s dining hall does close, other facilities will extend their hours.

In the more immediate future, MyPizza, a pizza pickup service for on-campus residents, will move from Rieber Hall to De Neve Plaza this summer in anticipation of the renovation, St. Louis said.

In addition, Crossroads Cafe will close in the fall and the De Neve dining hall will extend its hours.

St. Louis said that while students living near Crossroads enjoyed its convenience, the additional hours at the De Neve dining hall will appeal to more on-campus residents.