Aila Boyd
aboyd@mainstreetnewspapers.com
Roanoke College unveiled its first campus mural late last week, a nearly 900-square-foot artwork covering all four sides of a building in the new Maroon Village student living community.
The mural was created by Jon Murrill, a 2009 Roanoke College graduate, who involved more than 50 students in the painting process. Students from across campus participated in workdays, learning about public art and helping bring the mural to life.
“This is a part of Maroon Village where the students kind of congregate, they come together, it’s their community space,” Murrill said. “It was very fitting that the students here in Maroon Village, but also across campus, got to share some ownership of this mural.”
Murrill designed the mural as a full 360-degree color spectrum, with colors shifting through a forest of trees to create a glowing effect as light passes through.
Maroon Village is an innovative student housing community built from repurposed shipping containers, reflecting a growing trend of eco-friendly development. The residence hall includes 157 beds in suite-style units, each designed with energy efficiency and sustainability in mind. Solar panels, Energy Star–rated appliances, and modern interiors aim to offer students comfort while reducing environmental impact.
The community features a central courtyard, a common room with a kitchenette, and three laundry rooms with free machines. Suites are fully furnished with desks, chairs, wardrobes, bunk beds, and vanities, and include Wi-Fi and individual climate controls.
Maroon Village is located on the north end of the parking lot overlooking Alumni Field. One ADA-accessible, single-bed unit is available, and the community is supported by three student leaders and one senior community leader.
The project combines modern living, sustainability, and creativity, giving students an opportunity to engage with eco-friendly housing and public art in a way not previously offered on campus.
