Bostonia: The Alumni Magazine of Boston University

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This New High Rise

This Old House's Kevin O'Connor Guides Us Through Stu Vi 2

The latest construction project at BU is hard to miss, but here's a hint: it's that high-rise steel structure sprouting up behind the Agganis Arena. The latest addition to the John Hancock Student Village, the new residence, nicknamed "Stu Vi 2," will open its doors in fall 2009 and house 957 students in a mix of 8-person suites and 4-person apartments. The 400,000-square-foot building consists of two towers (19 stories and 26 stories) containing 100,000 yards of concrete, 9,300 pieces of steel, and 550 terra-cotta panels.

At this stage in the project, it's hard to make sense of the open walls and steel beams. Luckily, Kevin O'Connor (GSM'99), the host of the WGBH show This Old House, was happy to put on a hard hat and guide us through his alma mater's newest residence.

Alan Wong can be reached at alanwong@bu.edu.

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