'A new Fisk': University eyes innovation with first container-style dorms in Nashville

Behind the John Hope and Aurelia E. Franklin Library, one of the oldest structures on Fisk University's historic, stoic, bricked campus, stand 50 fabricated shipping containers painted gold and blue, the official school colors.

Walk up a wooden deck and to the left to find the micro apartment assigned to Brandon Nashe, a freshman from Brentwood. On Sunday, Nashe moved into the space he shares with roommate Nick Okubazgi, also a freshman. The musky smell of the wood lingers heavily, likely because it's still so fresh from construction, or because of the rain on an especially moody Wednesday afternoon. Inside the room, two twin beds line the right side, while a row of shoes are neatly lined up against the opposite wall. The gray walls are bare but there's no clutter, no trash, no empty cups of instant ramen or mac and cheese.

Nashe wanted to be one of the first students at the Historically Black College to try out a new style of on-campus student housing. So he asked around and had his name added to a list.

"I was surprised by how well the container was laid out, like an apartment," said Nashe, who first discovered container-style homes on Tik-Tok. "That's what really got me excited to live here."

He's not alone. At a university where approximately 80% of students reside on campus, Fisk is utilizing container homes to immediately address its growing student population, a good problem that could become dire if not addressed. In 2017, Fisk's total enrollment was 630 students. In 2022, the school exceeded 1,050 students due to an incoming freshman class of just under 400 students.

"I would say this is an is an example of the new Fisk and how we are being innovative and thinking outside of the box and being creative in the moment to make sure that we meet the needs of our students," said Natara Garvin, the vice president of student affairs at Fisk.

The 50 containers, which house 100 students, cost approximately $4 million to build. Although there are no plans to add more, the university foresees the containers remaining on campus after the new residence hall is completed in the fall of 2024.

'A new Fisk'

The university secured funding to build a traditional-style dorm through a federal Historically Black Colleges and Universities loan program. But officials said the structure would take years to build.

Students were in need of immediate housing.

"We wanted to get ahead of the housing crisis that a lot of our HBCUs have been experiencing with our growth and enrollment," Garvin said.

In researching creative ways to offer university housing, Fisk officials considered container housing, making it the only university in Nashville to offer this option.

Each unit is equipped with a refrigerator and microwave, allowing students personal space as opposed to traditional, community-style residence halls where more spaces are shared.

Additionally, container living includes no additional cost to students.

"We didn't we didn't change the price structure," Garvin said. "So the regular fee that they would pay to live in a residence hall is what they pay over in the micro apartments."

A model for other universities

Besides the layout of the interior, what truly piqued Nashe's interest was the innovation behind the project and the desire to be a part of something new at the historic university.

Over a century ago, when Fisk faced crumbling Union Army barracks and a growing enrollment, the Jubilee Singers raised $50,000 on an international tour which later funded Jubilee Hall — a Victorian Gothic building which now serves as one of the four residence halls on campus.

Decades later, Fisk is still finding creative ways to serve students.

"Coming here, it's just a new way of thinking," Nashe said. "I feel like it establishes a new way of life on campus, it broadens and expands the horizons of individuals who have never been to a college campus.

"Hopefully other schools will adapt to this and this will be a cornerstone for a new way of life at other universities."

Diana Leyva covers breaking and trending news for The Tennessean. Connect with her by email at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on twitter at @_leyvadiana

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Fisk University innovates college housing with container dorms in Nashville