Roanoke College is unveiling a new on-campus housing option this year.
Maroon Village consists of a group of renovated shipping containers, a form of housing that is growing in popularity across the country.
Roanoke College senior Colin Mendoza took 10 News on a tour of Maroon Village, his new home on campus. He points out that each piece of furniture is specific to this dorm.
“Other dorms on campus won’t have these amenities, and that goes along with the AC,” Mendoza said.
The suites will offer 157 beds. Mendoza says they packed a lot into a small space. “It’s definitely a target to choose wisely what you bring,” he said.
While the rooms are smaller, Mendoza said, “Size-wise it’s going to be smaller but you’re going to get that quality over quantity.”
The designers made the most of the space by including desks, microwaves and refrigerators.
The village will house students while various residence halls on campus undergo renovations.
“So while we renovate those spaces, we were looking for an option to house students in a sustainable way that made sense for campus in the ever-evolving culture of Roanoke College. And so that’s really where the idea came to be,” said Ellasen Elroumy, interim director of residence life and housing at Roanoke College.
Maroon Village will feature rooftop solar panels along with its energy-efficient fixtures. The college plans to add more landscaping to the site in the coming weeks.