After forgoing construction of new undergraduate residences for several decades, Stanford has now opened three in just the past two years.

Students returning to campus will discover Meier and Norcliffe halls in the historic Lagunita Court complex on Santa Teresa Street. Both are four-class, co-ed residences and include single rooms, two-room doubles and traditional double rooms. They will each house 109 residents, and each will have its own lounge, kitchenette, computer rooms and common areas.

Meier Hall, named to honor alumni Linda and Tony Meier, is one of two new undergraduate residences in the Lagunita Court complex. (Image credit: L.A. Cicero)

The opening of Meier and Norcliffe follows the 2015 opening of Ng House, which is the humanities-themed house located in the Gerhard Casper Quad off Escondido Road. Prior to Ng House, which was named for the Ng family of Singapore, no undergraduate residences had been added to the Stanford campus for about 20 years.

The two newest residence halls were built to complement the existing Mediterranean-inspired architecture of the Lagunita Court complex, which was constructed in the 1930s and renovated in 1998. The court includes Adelfa, Eucalipto, Granada, Naranja and Ujamaa houses, as well as a dining commons.

A beautiful fit

“Meier Hall and Norcliffe Hall fit in so beautifully with the older houses, both indoors and out,” said Rodger Whitney, executive director of Residential & Dining Enterprises (R&DE) Student Housing and chief housing officer.

Student feedback was key to integrating special features in the residence halls, including library/gathering spaces at the main entrance, main lounges with attached kitchenettes and outdoor gathering spaces, art/project spaces, seminar rooms, state-of-the-art multimedia rooms and music rooms, Whitney said. Both halls are blanketed with wireless technology, and feature projectors and large screens in the main lounges, he added.

Norcliffe Hall, made possible by a gift from the Norcliffe Foundation, a nonprofit founded by an alumnus and former trustee, like Meier Hall will house 109 undergraduates. (Image credit: L.A. Cicero)

“We were very happy to include in the design of the buildings many smaller gathering spaces, called nooks or alcoves, to encourage student interaction,” he said. “Many of these types of spaces were included in Ng House, and feedback that Student Housing has received from students about them has been very positive.”

Whitney said it was important to R&DE, working with the University Architect/ Campus Planning & Design Office, the Department of Project Management, Residential Education and Academic Computing, to include modern features while still retaining the distinctive architectural nature of Lagunita Court.

“We are so grateful to the generous donors and to our many university partners for helping us create these two beautiful and vibrant new homes where our students can live and learn and build community together,” said Shirley Everett, senior associate vice provost for R&DE.

The new halls also offer students more housing choices within Stanford’s already diverse residential system.

“Meier and Norcliffe offer us something that we haven’t had in a long time at Stanford – a true four-class house that is small and intimate,” said Deborah Golder, associate vice provost for student affairs and dean of residential education.

Both halls feature cottages for resident fellows, and new fellows already have been appointed by Residential Education to oversee the intellectual and cultural environments for students.

Bryan and Cheryl Brown have been appointed resident fellows in Meier Hall. Bryan Brown is associate dean of student affairs and associate professor at the Graduate School of Education, and Cheryl Brown is the associate director of the Program in African and African American Studies.

Jack and Nancy Kollmann will be resident fellows in Norcliffe Hall. Nancy Kollmann is a professor of history whose research focuses on modern Russia. Jack Kollmann is a lecturer at the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies.

Committed alumni

The houses are named to honor the service and contributions of alumni who have been key to the university’s success.

Meier Hall is named in honor of Linda and Tony Meier, who met at Stanford and graduated from the university in 1961 and 1957, respectively. Linda Meier is a former member of the Stanford Board of Trustees and the co-founder of the Cardinal Club. She has served as co-chair of the Centennial Campaign, vice chair for the Campaign for Undergraduate Education and co-chair for The Stanford Challenge. In 2000, she was awarded the Degree of Uncommon Woman, Stanford’s highest volunteer honor.

Tony Meier, principal of The Meier Group, has been involved with the DAPER Investment Fund, the Stanford Alumni Association, The Stanford Challenge and the advisory board to the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. He also served as chair of the Athletic Board and as co-chair of his 50th undergraduate reunion campaign.

Meier Hall is the result of a gift in their honor from their children.

Norcliffe Hall was made possible by a gift from the Norcliffe Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1952 by an alumnus who served on the Board of Trustees.

The buildings were dedicated during private ceremonies this week.