Bye Bye Pizza Oven Boulcott
Boulcott Hall has welcomed thousands of students through its doors since opening in 2013, but the University will stop operating it as student accommodation from the beginning of 2027.
A University spokesperson said the decision “reflects changing student preferences, with growing demand for more flexible, self-contained living options, and a reduced need for traditional ‘dorm-style’ accommodation.”
However, of the 142 responses to a Salient Instagram poll, 94 percent of students who stayed in a hall in their first year said that they lived in dorm-style accommodation, while just 6 percent lived in studios.
That sample represents only a small fraction of the more than 2000 students living in University halls, so the poll offers an anecdotal snapshot of Salient readers rather than a representative picture of student preferences.
The University said it has expanded its independent-living portfolio by more than 450 beds in recent years, including through the 222 Willis Apartments, Whānau Mārama Apartments, and the refurbished Waiteata Apartments.
“These investments ensure students continue to have access to a diverse range of accommodation options, styles, and price points that better meet their evolving needs,” the spokesperson said.
Permanent Boulcott staff will be supported through the transition, with the University providing opportunities for redeployment into equivalent roles elsewhere in its accommodation network.
In an email to current residents, Head of Hall Matt Mason assured said the decision would not affect them, and Boulcott would continue operating as normal for the remainder of the 2026 academic year.
“We recognise this is a period of change and uncertainty, and we ask you to be respectful and supportive of our hall community over the coming months,” he wrote.
“Boulcott Hall has played an important role in the lives of many students and staff, fostering a strong sense of community, and lasting relationships over the years.”
Students responding to a call-out on Salient’s Instagram story had similarly fond—and occasionally less fond—memories.
“Meeting all my lovely friends there last year #shoutoutfloor8,” said one. Another remembered “late night talks in the common room.” Several cited the kindness of staff, while others simply said “leaving.”
“In all the hallways and common areas there are no windows, it is inhospitable. It feels like some sort of forced confinement,” said a student speaking anonymously to Salient.
Some memories were novel. One student recalled: “Someone threw a plate at someone from a window storeys up.” Another offered: “my friend punched a sani dispenser off the wall and subsequently broke his hand.”
A none-resident fondly recalled “being sent back to my own hall in shame at like 2am.”
Most perplexing of all, a student nominated “how their dining hall looks like an Antarctic zoo enclosure to placate the beasts.”
The University is considering ways to acknowledge and celebrate Boulcott Hall’s legacy and contribution over the past 14 years.
And for anyone hoping to take home a piece of Boulcott history, there is bad news: when Salient asked what would become of the hall’s pizza oven, the University said it belongs to the caterers.
It is, regrettably, off the market.
