They're here! Over 16,500 students move into campus housing
First-year interior design student Grace Bocchi (left) and Terah Bocchi bring in boxes during move-in at the Mill Avenue residence hall on ASU's Tempe campus Saturday. The brand-new residence hall serves Sun Devils studying with the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, the Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation, and the College of Health Solutions. Photo by Emma Fitzgerald/Arizona State University
A tsunami of shower caddies and extra-long sheets hit Arizona State University over the past few days, as more than 16,500 students moved into campus housing to start the fall semester. Classes begin on Thursday.
ASU has 25 residence halls across its four metro Phoenix campuses. Nearly 13,000 students took up residence on the Tempe campus, with about 1,800 at the Downtown Phoenix campus and more than 1,000 each at the Polytechnic and West Valley locations.
On the Tempe campus, more than 800 first-year students will be living in the new seven-story residence hall on Mill Avenue, which serves Sun Devils studying with the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, the Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation, and the College of Health Solutions. It’s the first new dorm on the Tempe campus since 2017.
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First-year photography student Ellie Pierce and her dad, Josh Pierce, unpack her belongings during move-in Saturday at the new Mill Avenue residence hall in Tempe.
Photo by Emma Fitzgerald/Arizona State University
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What's the most important item for the first-year photography student? Ellie Pierce says it's this camera.
Photo by Emma Fitzgerald/Arizona State University
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First-year theater student Zarah Tualla (with her mom, Elle Tualla, in the background) unpacks some clothes Saturday during move-in at the Mill Avenue residence hall.
Photo by Emma Fitzgerald/Arizona State University
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Zarah Tualla's parents, Elle and Larry Tualla, think this first-aid kit is the most important item they packed. (Zarah answered that her camera was her most crucial item.)
Photo by Emma Fitzgerald/Arizona State University
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Daniel Brinson hangs some decor in the new Mill Avenue residence hall room Saturday for his daughter, first-year architecture student Jessica Brinson. What's Jessica's most important item she brought to college? Her laptop. What does Dad think was the top item? See the next photo.
Photo by Emma Fitzgerald/Arizona State University
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Dad Daniel Brinson thinks this weighted stuffed animal should get top billing in his daughter's dorm room supplies.
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Moms Hillari Fallstrom (left) and Dreametta Campbell unpack supplies in their sons' room in the new Mill Avenue residence hall Saturday.
Photo by Emma Fitzgerald/Arizona State University
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First-year architectural studies major Troyhar Campbell said the most important item he packed is his Xbox.
Photo by Emma Fitzgerald/Arizona State University
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His roommate, first-year game design student Isaac Fallstrom, says the most important item he brought was his computer setup.
Photo by Emma Fitzgerald/Arizona State University
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First-year fashion student Clara Lieber gets her closet arranged Saturday at the Mill Avenue residence hall.
Photo by Emma Fitzgerald/Arizona State University
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First-year jazz drumming student Marty Shank (left) and his dad, Joel Shank, get the bathroom supplies arranged and a water pitcher ready to go Saturday at the Mill Avenue hall.
Photo by Emma Fitzgerald/Arizona State University
The new residence hall, between Mill and Myrtle avenues and ninth and 10th streets, is steps away from ASU Gammage, the Music Building, the Nelson Fine Arts Center, the Art Building, Design North and Design South.
The building, with suite-style rooms, also features dining, classroom and office spaces, and indoor-outdoor common areas. The 264,974-square-foot structure — including 31,196 square feet of academic and office space — was completed in July.
It was designed with the arts in mind. Besides quiet study rooms, communal space and a fully equipped kitchen, the residence includes:
- Creative spaces, including a paper-making studio and a dance studio.
- Indoor and outdoor student art gallery spaces.
- The iStage, a research lab and immersive performance space that’s part of The GAME School, which educates the next generation of learners and empowers them with “technofluency” in games, arts, media and engineering.
Take a look inside the spaces for learning and creating in the gallery below.
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The exterior of the new Mill Avenue residence hall on the Tempe campus features curves, angles and a variety of surfaces.
Photo by Emma Fitzgerald/Arizona State University
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Visitors to the residence hall should make sure to look up — a variety of ceiling and lighting designs is used throughout, such as this entryway, shown in early August as construction wrapped up.
Photo by Emma Fitzgerald/Arizona State University
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The new Mill Avenue residence hall was designed with creativity in mind. Here, a paper- and printmaking studio is in the final stages of preparation on July 31.
Photo by Emma Fitzgerald/Arizona State University
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A detail from the paper studio.
Photo by Emma Fitzgerald/Arizona State University
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The "Paper Garden" is an outdoor ventilated space with sinks and tools for making paper.
Photo by Emma Fitzgerald/Arizona State University
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The dance space in the new residence hall has a large sprung wood floor and plenty of natural light, thanks to the large windows along two sides.
Photo by Emma Fitzgerald/Arizona State University
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The new residence hall has 31,196 square feet of academic and office space.
Photo by Emma Fitzgerald/Arizona State University
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Colorful murals, as well as communal gathering spaces and pods for studying, greet residents at the new residence hall.
Photo by Emma Fitzgerald/Arizona State University
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A sample room is staged with decor for visitors taking a tour on July 31. There are more than 800 beds in the new residence hall.
Photo by Emma Fitzgerald/Arizona State University
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The rooms feature generously sized bathrooms.
Photo by Emma Fitzgerald/Arizona State University
“We are excited to welcome our ASU students into our newest residence hall in Tempe — a space designed to inspire collaboration, connection and creativity,” said Christiana Sletten, assistant vice president for student services and university housing.
“Like our other residential college communities, it will be a cornerstone for student academic and career success, creating meaningful experiences within the Sun Devil community and contributing to the vibrant spirit of ASU.”
Explore more of the new Mill Avenue residence hall in the video below, as Herberger Institute Dean Renée Cheng and students Rajvir Singh and Vanessa Longoria toured the spaces this summer.
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