the modernist choate cluster is an all-freshman residence cluster principally consisting of bissell, brown, cohen and little, part of an "experiment in student living". the cluster includes four dormitories and two lounges. each pair of t-shaped dorms is attached to a single lounge via glass-enclosed above-ground walkways that are referred to as "hamster tunnels". the dorms include one-room doubles and one-room singles. each dorm is three floors high and connected to the lounge on the second floor. the cluster was constructed on land acquired from cardigan mountain school and was the first major construction project of john sloan dickey's presidency. the cluster cost $1.5 million to build, and was partially funded by the u.s. housing and home finance administration.