Hassayampa Academic Village

The Hassayampa Academic Village (HAV) is the largest dorm complex on the ASU campus, consisting of eight different halls. The Dorm holds the most residents with seven floors per building. These dorm buildings are condominium style rooms with out any kind of porch, patio, or deck area. With this, we look at the first evaluative criteria, the residents’ access to fresh air. The residents can control their own thermostat but the only air the get is through the vent. The only way they can get fresh air is by going down the elevator and sitting on one of the benches outside the building.  Each room only has one floor to ceiling window in each room and one lamp, this is the only light that is provided for each room.

            The rooms are average size with two raised twin beds so that the desks fit comfortably underneath them. However, there is no common room so the only place to relax is in your own room which also means that residents must make enough space to fit a TV if they want one. The bathrooms  are Jack and Jill style bathrooms that the four residents share. On each side there is a sink next to the door that leads to the shared toilet and shower.  The bathroom is only large enough for one person and limits the ability for people to use the facilities at the same time.

            One of the most beneficial parts about HAV, is that the Hassayampa dining hall is right down stairs and thirty second walk away, next to the UPS store where students can pick up their mail. The Hassayampa dining hall is the most popular place to eat for the residents of Sonora, Adelphi, and the HAV. This is a great place to have close for it uses meal plans and has an all you can eat buffet style breakfast, lunch and dinner.

            One of the crucial aspects of a dorm is the design of it.  There are both pros and cons to the design of Hassayampa.  A great benefit of living here, is that since it is indoors, many residents can keep their doors open which promotes a friendlier atmosphere. By having a floor where people can be more relaxed it is easier to make friends, which is crucial during freshman year. The downside however, is that the the rooms are separated by a very thin walls, making it tough to have a lot of privacy and a quite work place if your floor or even the floor above you is busy.