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This is the original source of the interview: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-the-tuesday-edition-1.6234150/billionaire-defends-windowless-d

This is the original source of the interview: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-the-tuesday-edition-1.6234150/billionaire-defends-windowless-dorm-rooms-for-california-students-1.6234462 https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-the-tuesd... Some quotes: What would you say to [Denis McFadden] if you had the chance? Well, if he knew more about it, he would have had more correct conclusions. What else does he have to know, in your view? The reason this building is the way it is, is because there are enormous advantages in having a lot of undergraduates conveniently near one another and conveniently near everything else they like to be near. The logical way to do that is to make a building in a big footprint and devote the top floor of it — which is a penthouse floor normally given to rich people, you know, for condos — and give that to the students as their common space, and to put a certain amount of academic space into that gigantic top floor with all the light and air and so forth. And so it's just that it was so novel, he's never seen that done, and he doesn't like it when it's different from what he's used to.

jrochkind1 5y ago
He's trying to get credit for... not giving the top floor of a student doorm to rich people as a penthouse? Are there other student dorms where the top floor is given to rich people for penthouse condos?
- MichaelZuo 5y ago
  The rules of HN say you should give the most charitable interpretation to another’s comments, not the least. In this case it would be instead of having premium student dorms on the top floor for wealthier students, or rooms for the student dorm administrators, instead every student gets access to that penthouse common space.
  - jrochkind1 5y ago
    It would be interesting if Charlie Munger were an HN commenter!
  - dboshardy 5y ago
    > In this case it would be instead of having premium student dorms on the top floor for wealthier students, or rooms for the student dorm administrators, instead every student gets access to that penthouse common space. I've never seen any dorms with "premium" student housing, let alone mixed in the building. There are certainly (especially older) dorms with more desirable rooms, but they were never "premium" or unavailable to any student.
  - CameronNemo 5y ago
    Do the rules extend to people who are interviewed in articles, and never comment on HN?
- CyberDildonics 5y ago
  That's not in any way what he is saying there. He is saying open space on a top floor is great and one idea is to make that a common space.
- mrbadideas 5y ago
  Yes, this there are many campuses that have luxury dorm buildings, personally I’ve experienced this at BU and North Eastern in some of the newer residential high rises, they aren’t necessarily “pent houses” but the point is tiered luxury housing at different price points does exist on campuses. I think his general point is that the space is the most desirable location and his design derives the most utility for the most people. It comes at the expense of individual freedom. It’s an interesting statement from someone like Munger. It’s equitable housing, if this hasn’t been done/studied at scale anywhere else I don’t understand the pushback to try something novel to solve a real problem. While the cost may seem high for this project, if it succeeds it could have huge benefits for future generations. If it fails, it will also provide valuable data points that can be used towards solving the problem, seems like a win/win especially with a private donor like Munger footing a large portion of the bill.

jrochkind1 5y ago

He's trying to get credit for... not giving the top floor of a student doorm to rich people as a penthouse? Are there other student dorms where the top floor is given to rich people for penthouse condos?

MichaelZuo 5y ago
The rules of HN say you should give the most charitable interpretation to another’s comments, not the least. In this case it would be instead of having premium student dorms on the top floor for wealthier students, or rooms for the student dorm administrators, instead every student gets access to that penthouse common space.
- jrochkind1 5y ago
  It would be interesting if Charlie Munger were an HN commenter!
- dboshardy 5y ago
  > In this case it would be instead of having premium student dorms on the top floor for wealthier students, or rooms for the student dorm administrators, instead every student gets access to that penthouse common space. I've never seen any dorms with "premium" student housing, let alone mixed in the building. There are certainly (especially older) dorms with more desirable rooms, but they were never "premium" or unavailable to any student.
- CameronNemo 5y ago
  Do the rules extend to people who are interviewed in articles, and never comment on HN?
CyberDildonics 5y ago
That's not in any way what he is saying there. He is saying open space on a top floor is great and one idea is to make that a common space.
mrbadideas 5y ago
Yes, this there are many campuses that have luxury dorm buildings, personally I’ve experienced this at BU and North Eastern in some of the newer residential high rises, they aren’t necessarily “pent houses” but the point is tiered luxury housing at different price points does exist on campuses. I think his general point is that the space is the most desirable location and his design derives the most utility for the most people. It comes at the expense of individual freedom. It’s an interesting statement from someone like Munger. It’s equitable housing, if this hasn’t been done/studied at scale anywhere else I don’t understand the pushback to try something novel to solve a real problem. While the cost may seem high for this project, if it succeeds it could have huge benefits for future generations. If it fails, it will also provide valuable data points that can be used towards solving the problem, seems like a win/win especially with a private donor like Munger footing a large portion of the bill.