3. Kaufmann’s Residential Section
• In 1928 a committee was appointed by the Board of
Trustees to study the problem of undergraduate life at
the Institute.
• It consisted of Robert Millikand, Arthur Noyes, William
Munro, and elevent faculty and students representatives.
• With all expenses paid, the group visited
– Oxford, Cambridge and London Universities in England;
– Cité Universitaire in France;
– University of Toronto in Canada;
– Annapolis, Chicago, Cornell, Duke, Harvard, MIT, Pennsylvania,
Princeton, Swarthmore, West Point, Williams and Yale in the
United States.
4. Committee’s Recommendations
• Mass housing and mass dining should be avoided.
• Nation fraternities should be discouraged.
• A series of residence halls with no more than 75
students in each was recommended.
• Units should be semi-divided by separate entries so
small group of student rooms (approximately 25) would
have the opportunity of developing comradeship in a
close-knit setting.
• The Institute should have control over assignments to
the groups but take into consideration the desires of
individuals.
5. Committee’s Recommendations
• In addition to the grouping of student rooms, the
committee recommended, “the proper provision
for supplying with wholesome food, under
agreeable conditions.”
• Although it would be more expensive, they
stressed the importance of avoiding typical large
college commons and recommended that food
be served in small dinning rooms which might
share a common kitchen.
• The committer estimated the cost of each 75
student unit at $200,000.
6. Millikan’s Wisdoms
• In this way all the real merit of the fraternity
housing system can be obtained, without
incurring the serious evils which that system
brings with it.
• The several housing units would inevitably
develop a certain amount of loyalty and would
develop among themselves a wholesome rivalry
in outdoor sports.
• In these halls we hope to get the students to live
in intimate and democratic but highly stimulating
and cultural relationships.
（ Robert Millikan to Mr. F.C. Austin, July 28, 1928 ）
7. Millikan’s Wisdoms
• The houses are to act as centers for the
student life of the Institute, for we hope to
make not only the home life, but the
internal athletics, and all the friendly
rivalries and competitions of the students,
center around them.
（ Robert Millikan to Harry Chandler, February 6, 1929 ）
8. Kaufmann’s Undergraduate
Houses, 1931
• First floor plan of Student Dormitories. Kaufmann organized the four houses around six
courtyards.
• Small groups of rooms with separate entrances linked to the overall framework of a house wrap
around the private space of an inner courtyard.
• Communal rooms border an outer and inner central courtyard, with a single kitchen forming a
bridge between the housing group.
9. Kaufmann’s Undergraduate
Houses, 1931
• South Student Dormitories, Kaufmann’s original perspective view
with a tower. The tower was never built.
• The dormitory complex is made up of low horizontal buildings which
define the spaces within.
10. Avery House, 1996
• Based on Millikan’s Wisdoms, an
outer south-facing courtyard
serves as a common area with
outside and inside gathering
spaces, food service, and a
large two-story dining hall with a
trussed ceiling.
