The Radcliffe off-campus houses on Garden St. will eventually be replaced with a large dormitory housing approximately 340 girls, a College architect told a group of students and deans yesterday.

Although the girls living in these houses have strongly urged their retention, "it is inevitable that the small units go," Nelson W. Aldrich declared at the semi-annual Cedar Hill conference.

"We must build a new dorm to alleviate the incredible overcrowding that we have now," Aldrich said. He noted, however, that it might be possible to duplicate the "desirable atmosphere" of the small houses by dividing the dorm into several units.

Calling for suggestions from the students present, Aldrich attempted to outline the features of an "ideal dormitory." The most popular proposals urged arrangement of rooms into suites with separate study and sleeping areas and provision of more living rooms for entertaining male guests.

In addition, a majority of the girls favored replacing the "long, prison-like corridors" with an entry plan similar to the Harvard House system.