Cuarto Area
Five residence halls make up Cuarto, the only residence hall area located off of the central campus. Located one block northwest of the Segundo Area and the northwest corner of campus, Cuarto is home to approximately 1,450 students. All five Cuarto halls are designed around private outdoor courtyards, three of which have swimming pools and spas. Cuarto is the only residence hall area to offer swimming pools and spas, although they are available for use to all residence hall community members. All of Cuarto’s rooms are organized into suites, with two- to four bedrooms arranged about a central, shared living room and bathroom.
Cuarto hosts two dining commons buildings, and all Cuarto residents have access to the Area Service Desk and an Academic Advising Center in Thoreau Hall, a Computer Center in Castilian Hall, and a Computer Center and a game area in Emerson Hall. Cuarto residents’ mailboxes are located in one of two locations: Emerson Hall and Castilian Hall, and all halls offer multiple lounges and study rooms.
Cuarto’s Residence Halls
Cuarto’s residence halls are grouped into two areas: a three-building community and a two-building community to the north.
Castilian Hall, Emerson Hall, Thoreau Hall, and Webster Hall
Emerson Hall, Thoreau Hall and Webster Hall are arranged along the north and south sides of Oxford Circle. The Oxford Circle Dining Commons is located on the east end of Oxford Circle, and a city park is located on the west end, at the entrance to the circle. Emerson Hall is shaped like a Figure 8, with two exterior courtyards; the west courtyard, “grass side”, is landscaped with grass, pathways and sitting areas, and the east courtyard, “pool side”, has a swimming pool and sitting areas. About 490 residents call Emerson Hall home. Thoreau Hall is arranged about a landscaped courtyard with a fountain, lawn, and sitting areas; approximately 200 students live in Thoreau Hall each year. Webster Hall is architecturally similar to Emerson Hall’s eastern half, and like Emerson Hall, the outdoor courtyard has a swimming pool. Approximately 260 students reside in Webster Hall.
Castilian Hall is located about two blocks north of Oxford Circle and the other Cuarto area residence halls. Castilian Hall is comprised of two buildings, known as North Castilian and South Castilian; the Castilian Dining Commons is located between the two buildings. Castilian North is the smaller of the two buildings, housing about 205 students, while approximately 290 students live in Castilian South. Castilian Hall has the only other residence hall swimming pool.
The first floor of each building has a community lounge with cable television, a study lounge, a kitchenette, and a laundry room. Every suite has its own private living room, much like a traditional apartment; however, as with all residence halls, suites do not have kitchens. Unlike Segundo and Tercero, Cuarto utilizes private bathrooms instead of community bathrooms; every suite has its own bathroom for the private use of all suitemates. Also unlike Segundo and Tercero, Cuarto’s bathrooms also include a bathtub.
Most bedrooms are double-occupancy; there are a few single-occupancy rooms and triple-occupancy rooms. All living rooms and bedrooms are furnished, and carpeted flooring is utilized in each room. All rooms feature climate control.
All five buildings are locked at all times. Access to each building is controlled by electronic locks; residents unlock exterior doors using their authorized registration/ID cards. All buildings utilize outdoor walkways too access the suites. Walkways are located inside the halls, along the perimeter of the courtyards; front doors open off of the walkways and enter into suites’ living rooms. Residents access their suites and their rooms using a traditional key. Bedrooms are keyed separately from each other so only roommates and not all suitemates have access to individual bedrooms.
Dining in Cuarto
The Oxford Circle dining commons (DC) and Castilian DC buildings, which are available to all residence hall residents, are centrally located within the two Cuarto communities. For more information about dining in any of the areas, refer to the Dining section of the website.
Advantages of the Cuarto Area
Cannot decide which housing area is best? Remember that all housing areas are equitable and are complete with everything a resident needs for growth and success, but review the following list to see which features help differentiate Cuarto from the other housing areas.
- On site swimming pools and spas
- The only secure (fenced and gated) bike parking lot in the residence halls is located at Thoreau Hall
- Two dining commons buildings
- Two computer center locations
- Private, outdoor courtyards
- Off-campus location may help manage stress by creating a bit of separation between “going to class” and “being at home” rather than living next door to classes
- Close proximity to campus, and even closer proximity to community shopping
- The Activities and Recreation Center (ARC) and the Recreation Pool are a short bike ride away