Usually called the Southwest Area or just Southwest, these 16 dorms hold 5400 students, half the on-campus population. Southwest is reputed to be the most densely populated square mile in the state. With 11 low-rises, 5 towers, 2 dining commons, its own convenience store, pizza parlor, and recreational facilities, Southwest is always the most desirable place to live on campus- in fact, although there are more rooms here than anywhere else, it's actually the most difficult area to switch into.
Southwest was planned and built during the university's boom years, the same period that saw the Orchard Hill dorms, the Lederle GRC, and the Fine Arts Center erected. There was originally a sixth tower planned, but students were less than interested in commuting by elevator. The building of the dorms obliterated two existing dorms (Hampden and Franklin Houses) and most of North Hadley Road (the imprint of which can still be seen- look at the intramural soccer fields from any of the towers).
Southwest is home to more TAP students than any other area- the top 8 floors of John Adams and George Washington Towers, and parts of Cance and Patterson Houses, are given over to some of UMass's brightest freshmen.
The five towers are named after presidents of the United States, and the lowrises are named after professors and university staff. The whole area was built in a depression, so that none of the buildings can be seen from downtown.
Cool Fact: Southwest's windows were screened, and the tower balconies closed, in 1976, after a student was knocked unconcious by a roll of toilet paper thrown from Kennedy Tower.
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