New Hall (St Andrews)

New Hall is the largest single-building Hall of Residence owned by the University of St Andrews. It was opened in 1993 and is located in the town of St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. It has 519 bedrooms, of which 25 are shared. All are en-suite. Currently it is the only Hall in St Andrews to accommodate both catered and self-catered students, although the catered students are in a significant majority.

Naming

The name 'New Hall' was initially intended to be purely a temporary one. As the hall was opened at a time when the university had just celebrated the centenary of women's admission, it was mooted that the hall would be named for Elizabeth Garrett Anderson as one of the most famous women to attend the university. A mass meeting of the hall's residents was held to discuss the matter, and gather suggestions for the hall's permanent name. However, no name was ever decided upon by the university authorities, and it remained 'New Hall' by default.

Architecture

New Hall is laid out in a series of blocks overlooking quads. The hall interior is quite attractive, with stainless steel columns and glass ceilings in the foyer.

Location

New Hall is located on the North Haugh area of St Andrews, the only part of the University or town that could realistically be described as 'campus'. It overlooks a large grass area, with flats used for playing football or rugby. The field is at its best in spring and summer when the sun is shining and the daffodils are out. It is a 15 minute walk from town.

The North Haugh is shared by some parts of the Faculty of Science, including the Purdie Building, the Biochemistry Building and the Mathematics Dept, the new Medical School, as well as Andrew Melville Hall, another University residence. Past Andrew Melville Hall there is an unnamed lake, which is inhabited by swans and ducks.

Catering

The Dining Room in New Hall is large, modern, and relaxed. Catered students eat three meals a day here on weekdays, and two meals a day at the weekends. Evening meals at the weekends are not included, so for these students are expected to make or buy food elsewhere. Each room in New Hall has a kitchen assigned to it, so there is somewhere to cook at the weekend. Kitchens are also available throughout the week. During the week, breakfast is served from 8-9am, lunch is noon-1.30pm, and dinner is 5.45-7.00pm. At the weekends, breakfast is 8.30-9.30pm and lunch is 12.30-1.15pm. Students can come in and out of the dining room at any point during the opening hours, and it’s also possible to arrange packed lunches or dinners if necessary.

As of the 2011/2012 session New Hall will no longer be a catered hall, offering only self-catered accommodation contracts.

Facilities

New Hall has its own café, which is open from 8.30am until 2.30pm every day. The café also serves as the main social area of New Hall, with a widescreen TV (equipped with a DVD player and a full Sky subscription) and newspapers that are delivered daily. There are additional seating areas in the foyer, where there are also payphones (which work internationally). In the same area there is a laundry room, which has several machines working on a coin-operated basis. There is also a games room, which currently has facilities for pool, table tennis, table football and darts, as well as a bookcase full of books, videos and board games. Adjacent to the games room is the music office, which is a small soundproof room for musically-inclined residents to practice in, which comes equipped with an electric piano, a drumkit, and other miscellaneous equipment. In addition, there are also a few study rooms, and a computer room on the second floor.

Influence of William Wales

When Prince William, Duke of Cambridge first announced that he intended to attend the University, applications to study at St Andrews almost tripled. Many of New Hall's bedrooms were converted to accommodate more students, including the installation of bunk beds in single rooms and converting study rooms into additional bedrooms.

As pressure for space eased, the bunk beds were replaced with double-beds and single rooms are no longer shared, though the converted study rooms are still in use.

As a hotel

New Hall is a 3-star hotel during the summer months, catering for parents and graduands during graduation, golfers and other tourists. The few shared rooms are marketed as 'family rooms'. It boasts a 'Green Tourism' award for its sustainable practices.

External links

• New Hall website
• University of St Andrews website

Coordinates: 56°20′25″N 2°48′51″W / 56.3402°N 2.8142°W / 56.3402; -2.8142