For some, it’s hard to imagine that Buddig Hall was once considered cutting-edge, but in 1967, it was.

Now Buddig will get an innovative look for the 21st century.

Buddig is undergoing a two-year renovation and is currently in the first phase. The second phase, which will occur next summer, will tackle installing new flooring, wall decor, slightly larger windows and movable furniture.

“These updates will extend the life of the facility for future generations of Loyola students. It is also our hope that students will respond positively, particularly to the aesthetic improvements throughout the community,” said Craig Beebe, director of Residential Life.

Buddig was completed in 1967, three years after Biever Hall and around the same time as Cabra Hall, although Cabra was still part of St. Mary’s Dominican College’s campus until 1984. Buddig is named after Henrietta Buddig, whose family donated a significant sum of money for the construction of the dormitory.

Many students find the design of the rooms a little strange, but according to Robert Reed, assistant vice president of student affairs, each feature was considered sensible at the time.

The narrow, metal blinded windows, which many students complain lend very limited natural light in the residence hall, serve as a more permanent privacy mechanism. More importantly, however, they were primarily installed for hurricane protection.

“During hurricanes, no one left campus unless they really wanted to. We called it ‘vertical evacuation.’ We all would just hunker down in campus buildings until the storm passed,” Robert Reed said.

Although she admits that safety should be first priority, Erin Knowles, English sophomore, said that the small windows are her least favorite feature of Buddig.

“It can be depressing, so you have to decorate to make up for it,” she said.

The pastel colored walls and wallpaper probably seemed like a cute idea at the time, since Buddig was designated as the women residence hall while Biever was for the men, Reed said.

The built-in furniture, also present in Cabra and once present Biever before its 2000 renovation, was considered stylish during the ’60s.

Carly Bolton, biology sophomore, said that the installed furniture offers limited room arrangement options and personal space.

“The one long desk is inconvenient because you don’t have your own space, and it’s hard to keep your stuff separate from your roommate,” she said.

Reed agreed that the design of the buildings is old fashioned.

“At the time of the ’60s, these residence halls were considered very modern, but now they are seen as extremely outdated,” Reed said.

Jennie Gutierrez can be reached at [email protected]