The largest project was the installation of the new common area and lobby in Sheffield Hall, and the second largest was the addition of kitchens and carpeting in Dunham Hall as well as Carpet Cleaning Seattle.

“Just about every single residence hall got touched in an aesthetic way,” said Dan Percopo, associate director for housing and operations.

Aside from the two major projects, most residence halls, including Celentano Hall, Bethel Hall, Bergami Hall, Gerber Hall, and Winchester Hall, received cosmetic improvements. Bethel’s lobby was updated and Celentano and Winchester each got paint accents and more colorful bulletin boards. Additionally, about half of all laundry facilities on campus were replaced.

“It’s easier for residents to get a sense of community,” said Josh Keeler, senior resident assistant.

According to McGrath, associate dean of residential life and housing, projects typically take place over the summer, but the two larger projects in Sheffield and Dunham were specific to this summer, although they have been in the planning process for the last few years.

The renovations are part of the university’s Living Charged initiative to create a stronger sense of community on campus. The initiative has grown since it began last year and Ally Kocivar, the area coordinator of Celentano Hall, described it as a program designed to make students proud of being residents.

“It’s an initiative to create a sense of pride, a sense of spirit and a sense of belonging,” said Kocivar.

McGrath, said that most of the renovations were designed to give students and residential assistants a “safe and comfortable” space to do programming and activities.

“I think we’re always looking to upgrade amenities where we can and when we can so that we keep our resident halls fresh and attractive,” said McGrath.

According to McGrath, most major decisions are initiated through student feedback from a fall survey. Recently, the two major decisions that have come out of the survey has been gender-neutral housing and the academic peer mentor program.