life Residential Life at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is one of the largest on-campus housing systems in the United States. Over 14,000 students live in 52 residence halls, while families, staff, and graduate students live in 345 units in two apartment complexes (North Village and Lincoln). The fifty-two residence halls and four undergraduate apartment buildings are grouped into seven separate and very different residential areas: Central, Northeast, Orchard Hill, Southwest, Sylvan, North Apartments, and the recently constructed Commonwealth Honors College Residential Community (CHCRC). Each possesses its own distinctive characteristics, inspired in part by location, in part by architecture, and in part by the different cultural or academic living/learning programs housed within. Each residential area houses classrooms, recreational and social centers, kitchenettes, and cultural centers - in addition to bedrooms, study areas, laundries, television rooms, and dining facilities. Each has its own student governing body and is, in effect, a community unto itself. Located in the central corridor of campus, the Honors Community houses undergraduate members of Commonwealth Honors College. In this community, undergraduates, staff, and faculty share an interwoven mix of double, single, suite, and apartment-style living options spread across six halls. This area featured a 24-hour full-service cafe during its first year, but it soon became clear that 24-hour operation was not profitable. The cafe is closed between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. during the school year and closed during the summer. The community includes assembly and workshop rooms, as well as most Honors College programming and staff offices. Major campus expansion The University of Massachusetts Amherst campus embarked on a 10-year, $1 billion capital improvement program in 2004, setting the stage for re-visioning the campus's future. This includes construction of $156 million New Science Laboratory Building, $30 million Champions Basketball Center, an $85 million academic building, and $30 million in renovations to the football stadium. In early 2016, the construction of a new electrical substation located near Tillson farm was completed. The purpose of the substation is to supply electricity to the university more efficiently and reliably, with estimated savings of $1 million per year. The project was created in partnership with the utilities company Eversource, and cost approximately $26 million. The new electrical substation works in conjunction with the university's pre-existing combined heat and power (CHP) plant. In April 2017, the University of Massachusetts Amherst officially opened its new Design Building. Previously estimated at $50 million,