Rice University’s Lovett College, the dorm lovingly nicknamed “the toaster,” will take a new name starting this fall. After Lovett College residents move into a new space to accommodate Rice’s expanding student body, the current building will be renamed “Main Street Residence” and will remain available for undergraduate housing for the immediate future.
For the upcoming 2026-27 academic year, a large proportion of Main Street Residence’s rooms will be made available to rising sophomores at Baker and Lovett Colleges to help facilitate the transition of having juniors living off campus.
Any remaining spaces will open to all rising sophomores, juniors and seniors who participated in their college’s housing draw but did not receive a room.
Students assigned to Main Street Residence will retain full membership in their home college and will continue to be supported by their college core teams. Mail will be delivered to their home college, and those living in Main Street Residence are encouraged, but not required, to dine at their home college’s servery.
Main Street Residence will operate as on-campus apartment-style housing rather than as a residential college. The basement level will be fully transitioned to the Department of Housing and Dining operations and will not be accessible to students, and the sundeck space will be removed after commencement. No parties — public or private — will be permitted in Main Street Residence.
Two full-time resident supervisors will live in Main Street Residence and serve as resources for all residents; these are not typical resident supervisor positions as students living in this space are encouraged to continue working with their home college core teams. All students housed in Main Street Residence will have access to its servery and commons, though they are strongly encouraged to remain engaged with their home college communities.
The selection process will be overseen by the Office of the Dean of Undergraduates and vice provost for student life.
To apply for a room in Main Street Residence during the 2026-27 academic year, complete this application. The application deadline is March 5 at 11:59 p.m.
General information on Main Street Residence, the housing draw and room assignments
- Format of rooms: singles, doubles, quads (two doubles connected by a bathroom).
- Students may apply as individuals, as part of a roommate pair (double-occupancy room) or as part of a four-person quad (two double-occupancy rooms). All persons applying to live as part of a double room or a quad must apply in order for the housing request to be considered.
- The housing draw is scheduled by March 9. After the housing draw is completed, all students and roommate pairs will be assigned a lottery number to determine the order of sign-up for specific rooms in the building.
- Students who secure a room at Main Street Residence must forfeit their space on their home college room waitlist.
For more information or questions, email ugdean@rice.edu.