The clanging of a bell signaled the start of dinner at Farm House on a quiet evening in late April. Pans of black beans and roasted vegetables crowded the stovetop, as “Farmies,” friends and one visiting alum loaded up their plates and headed outdoors to enjoy a home-cooked meal under the gentle breeze.
Yet while the Farm dinner routine has been tradition for decades, the sustainability interest house has undergone a number of changes recently. This spring term marks the conclusion of the first academic year living in “New Farm,” the three-story, wedge-shaped structure that stands beside the outdoor eating circle.
For perhaps every Carl outside of current freshmen, “Farm” brings to mind the 1920s-era stucco cottage nestled among trees at the far northern end of campus, next door to the Arb office. Few interest homes have had as strong a connection to their place of residence as Farm, which, until this year, had occupied the same house since its founding over half a century ago.
Farmies present at dinner recalled old Farm with a range of emotions, some rosy, others not. The porch formed the backdrop for many iterations of Farmstock, and the names of past residents covered a mural of a tree on one of the inside walls. But while quaint and steeped in Farm tradition, it had seen better days.
The old house was “dark, and gross, and parts of it were falling apart,” said resident Quinn Lee-O’Halloran ’25. The kitchen sink, in particular, was one feature that long-time Farmies were glad to part with. When asked about the factors that led to the decision to replace rather than repair old Farm, the facilities department cited issues including the deterioration of walls and foundations, rotting floors due to tracked-in mud and snow and the cramped floor plan, all of which made remodeling infeasible. Demolition and replacement was incorporated into Phase I of the 2021 Student Life and Housing Plan.
New Farm was constructed over the 2023-2024 academic year on a site about a hundred feet south of the original home, using a design similar to the nearby Lilac Hill housing being built at the same time. From the beginning, sustainability was a key priority of the project. The house significantly exceeds the efficiency standards imposed by current energy usage codes. Thick interior walls minimize heat loss and air infiltration, and an array of rooftop solar panels top the roof, features which enable it to use 69 percent less energy than general new construction. New Farm and the other Lilac Hill houses received official certification from Passive House Institute last month.
“In theory, a highly sustainable place is exciting to us,” said Lee-O’Halloran. Such priorities naturally dovetail with Farm’s identity as a sustainability interest house. And unlike old Farm, she said, “everything’s really clean, and we appreciate it.”
Yet this first year in new Farm has brought with it mixed reactions. Some discontent may stem from the way the transition to the new house was administered by the college. Residents expressed dissatisfaction about the degree to which they were consulted during the design process. Furthermore, according to Lee-O’Halloran, residents were not allowed to transfer furniture items of sentimental value to the new house, particularly the kitchen table. The Dean of Students Office, which was behind much of the planning phase, did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication.
The building itself is also polarizing. Even from afar, there is no missing the ultra-modern aesthetic of new Farm, which is quite distinct from its rambling predecessor. Likened by some to “a big piece of cheese,” the house is predominantly yellow in color and topped by a prominent roofline that gently slopes from north to south. The facade is punctuated by windows of varying sizes, and fronted by an exposed-steel porch, onto which open the two front doors— one leading to the main two levels, the other to a basement unit complete with its own kitchen.
“Aesthetically, I prefer the old house,” said resident Nora Daley ’27. Others were more blunt, deeming the new house “ugly as sin.”
The concerns extend indoors as well. While the windows are significantly larger than those on the previous house, they are limited from opening more than a crack — an element of the passive house engineering, intended to prevent air leakage — which has caused some frustration.
Others mentioned that interior trim and sprinkler systems were coming loose, and that the house, as a whole, “looked poorly constructed.”
When asked to envision the state of their interest house in 50 years, few Farmies were optimistic that their new lodgings would last that long. Yet plenty were quick to draw a distinction between the fate of the house and that of the community, which they believe will endure.
“In the fall we were all despairing a bit,” said Lee-O’Halloran. “Now, we’ve embraced making [the house] our own. We’ve just admitted a new crop of residents. The house will continue, the spirit will continue.”
Housemate Daley concurred. While “slightly bummed” about the loss of old Farm, she expressed gratitude that the interest house had a home at all. “The relationship with the [student] farm will continue, [and] what matters most to me is that the traditions continue.” Farmstock, a Carleton tradition that involves listening to music, eating food and celebrating spring, is approaching, and Farm has received permission to host the event at the site of its old house, where it always has been.