Sophomore Housing
Sophomore year at RISD is a transitional period for students as they navigate their major degree program. To support this transition, we offer designated sophomore area communities. These communities provide students with a close-knit, independent living experience. Students living in a sophomore area can navigate their new majors together while forging new connections and pathways for success. They also benefit from targeting programs and events that help them develop concrete connections between academic and extracurricular experiences.
All rising sophomores are given priority housing selection to choose rooms in sophomore area communities in the residence halls listed below.
15 West — Alcove Suites, floors 3–5
Located in downtown Providence, 15 West houses sophomores and upperclass students—more than 500 in all. It offers various living style options and amenities, and is home to the Fleet Library and Portfolio Cafe. Sophomores live in the Alcove Suites on floors 3–5 while floors 6–16 are apartment style spaces for juniors, seniors, fifth-year students and some graduate students.
Room types:
- single
- shared double or triple
South Hall
Comprised of suites, South Hall offers sophomores a more independent living experience while still encouraging a strong sense of community. Conveniently located a short distance from RISD’s academic buildings and many other campus resources, this hall provides an elevator, a work room and easy access to the Met. It is also nearby Public Safety.
Room types:
- single
- shared double, triple or quad
Hill Houses
The Hill Houses are renovated historic homes on College Hill that create a small, unique and strong community for students in their second year. Featuring beautiful architectural details, these houses contain either single or shared (double and triple) rooms, and share community resources like study/work rooms, kitchens, social lounges and communal or semi-private bathrooms. Each Hill House is appointed one resident advisor (RA) and typically houses between 15–30 students.
Room types:
- single
- shared double, triple or quad
Amenities
All sophomore housing includes the following for each student:
- extra-long twin beds
- dressers or closet spaces
- desks with desk chairs
- a microfridge with microwave (excluding 15 West)
Students living in a 15 West Alcove Suite also share:
- a medium-sized refrigerator
- kitchen cabinets
- full bathroom (toilet, sink, shower/tub)
Sophomore residential experience
Living together, sophomores participate in a variety of residence hall programs that provide support and community throughout the year. These programs, aimed exclusively at sophomores, are led by Residence Life professional staff, resident assistants (RAs), advocates for inclusion in residence (AIRs) and partnering teams across campus.
Dining
Sophomore housing also includes the following dining allotment:
- unlimited access to The Met
- 225 dining points per semester for use in any RISD Dining venue
- five (5) weekly cafe credits
- three (3) guest meals
Note that your dining plan is built into the cost of housing and cannot be removed.
If you reside on campus and want a little more flexibility in your plan, you may request a change to the full-flex meal allotment, which includes:
- 105 Met swipes per semester
- 500 dining points per semester
- 150 café credits per semester
- three (3) guest meals per semester
Students residing in Sophomore housing OR 15 Mini Lofts will have no additional charge to make this change.
If you would like to change your allotment to the above, complete the full-flex request form. You can submit your request through the end of the second week of a given semester (fall or spring). If you have questions you may email Dining + Catering at dining@risd.edu or 401 454-6360.
Heating and cooling
Residence hall heating and cooling systems vary by location. See below for more information.
15 West
Rooms in 15 West offer both heating and air conditioning and are equipped with thermostats that, in general, control the temperature within a full apartment, suite or loft. Residents are able to choose between heating or cooling their room at any time of year, regardless of season.
Hill Houses
Similar to many private homes, the Hill Houses are heated via a central boiler. Heat is available at almost any time of year. However, air conditioning is not available in these facilities.
Some bedrooms in the Hill Houses have individual fan units that help with temperature control. A small door on the wall-mounted fan coil gives access to the control switch. Note that, even if the fan is not running, heat can still be transferred into the room if heat is being called to another part of the floor or area.
Other Hill Houses are equipped with baseboard radiators without fan control. Residents can control the amount of heat delivered to a room by adjusting the louver on the baseboard unit.
The heating systems in the Hill Houses are programmed to activate if the temperature drops below approximately 60 degrees. If you feel your heating system is malfunctioning, please complete a facility work order form.
South Hall
Fall semester
Heating and cooling is provided via two pipe systems. Only one system at a time is operational; they cannot deliver hot and cool air simultaneously.
During the third week of October, RISD’s Facilities team begins the changeover from cooling (chillers) to heat (boilers). Barring unforeseen circumstances, this process typically takes three to four days to complete.
In general, the temperature of your room should remain at approximately 68 degrees or above. If you believe your HVAC system is malfunctioning, please complete a facility work order form. Please note that air conditioning will not be available until late in the spring semester.
Spring semester
During the final week of April, Facilities begins the changeover from heat (boilers) to cooling (chillers). Barring unforeseen circumstances, this process typically takes three to four days to complete. If you feel your HVAC system is malfunctioning, please complete a facility work order form.