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Lucie Stern Hall, built shortly after World War II and renovated in 1995, represents Stanford’s brief departure into architectural modernism. Stern honors donor “Aunt Lucie” Stern, a popular local figure and friend of the University who often invited students to her Palo Alto house to make them feel at home.

Stern Hall consists of six small houses that accommodate about 100 students each, either in all-freshman or four-class buildings. Stern houses were originally named for California pioneers, such as horticulturalist Luther Burbank, mission founder Father Junipero Serra, and mother lode author Mark Twain. Casa Zapata, named more recently, reflects the Chicano/Latino cross-cultural theme program located at the complex.

Stern and the post-war building boom
Stern Hall is a beloved residence on campus due, in part, to Lucie Stern. Lucie’s gifts and donations to Stanford University - including student loans, gifts to health services, Stern Hall, and a new Law School building – have allowed students, faculty, and staff to thrive and continue carrying on her spirit.

Today, Stern Hall's architectural style is often considered controversial at Stanford, but, when it was built in 1948, some saw it as a necessary shift toward modern architecture and planning. In his support of Stern and other building-boom projects at the time, Stanford President Donald Tresidder (1943-1948) called for “new educational buildings [that] will not…imitate, in steel and glass and concrete, the truly inimitable beauty of the stone-built quads…Rather we shall build with today’s materials, harmoniously, but of the present.”

Eldredge Spencer, a Beaux Arts-trained San Francisco architect, headed Stanford’s first planning office, established under Tresidder, and designed Stern. Abandoning Stanford’s familiar red-tile roofs and arcades, Stern organized the houses around small internal courtyards, but provided for a central kitchen and dining facility. Faculty resident apartments and common areas in each house - particularly libraries and lounges - were meant to encourage interaction among students and faculty.

For information on the accessibility of residences for both living and visiting, please reference our Undergraduate Residences Accessibility Summary chart.

General Information

Residence Name Stern Hall
Map
Neighborhood Eastside
Navigation Address 618 Escondido Road, Stanford, CA 94305
Housing Front Desk Stern Hall Housing Front Desk
Dining Service

Located in the center of the Stern residential complex and serving students from Burbank, Donner, Larkin, Serra, Twain, and Casa Zapata (the Chicano theme house), Stern Dining is heavily influenced by the vibrant community that surrounds it. From the daily salsa bar to the rotating Latin American specials, the taste of the food is matched only by the beauty of the murals adorning the walls of the dining rooms.
Class Configuration All freshman and four-class
Co-ed Type Co-ed by corridor (men and women live on the
same floor)
Custodial Service University managed
Common Areas Each house in Stern has its own lounge, dining room, and other common areas, providing popular gathering spaces for residents.
The Houses
Burbank Casa Zapata* (Theme house)
Donner Larkin
Serra Twain

House Facts

Burbank

Configuration:
Co-ed type:
Resident Fellow:

All Freshmen
Co-ed by corridor
Stephanie Eberle
Casa
Zapata*
Theme House

Configuration:
Co-ed type:
Resident Fellows:

Theme:

Four-class house
Co-ed by corridor
Gina Hernandez Clarke and
Chris Gonzales Clarke
Chicano/Latino Theme House
This cross-cultural house features theme programs exploring Chicano/Latino history and culture, and sponsors events like, Zoot Suit Week, Cinco de Mayo, and Dia de los Muertos. Pre-assignment to this residence requires an agreement to support the program.
Donner Configuration:
Co-ed type:
Resident Fellow:		 All Freshmen
Co-ed by corridor
Linda Paulson
Larkin Configuration:
Co-ed type:
Resident Fellows:		 All Freshmen
Co-ed by corridor
Patti Hanlon-Baker and Geoffrey Baker
Serra Configuration:
Co-ed type:
Resident Fellow:

All Freshmen
Co-ed by corridor
Adam Berkelhamer & Michelle Reininger
Twain Configuration:
Co-ed type:
Resident Fellow:		 All Freshmen
Co-ed by corridor
Cari Costanzo Kapur

*Important Assignment Information

Residential Education is offering a pre-assignment system for all Special Program Houses (Ethnic/Academic Theme, Focus and Cooperative Houses). This process will allow Resident Fellows, Faculty Affiliates, and house program staff to pre-assign a set number of residents who complete the pre-assignment application and meet all necessary requirements prior to the Housing Draw. Here is the Residential Education link for detailed pre-assignment information.

There are THREE ways to get in to Special Program Houses.  Please see the Theme and Focus House page for details.

Furnishings

General Bedroom Bathroom
Wall-to-wall carpeting Extra-long twin bed Separate bathrooms and showers for men and women are located on each floor.
Window coverings Desk and chair
High-speed internet access Wall-mounted bookshelves
Telephone and
telephone line		 Dresser

 
Cable TV capability Mirror  
  Waste basket and
recycling bin		  

Sample Floor Plans

Double room - Top View

Last modified Fri, 3 May, 2013 at 9:43