Classrooms find home
Roberts renovation results in construction of new academic building for 2010
Charlie Eichacker
Issue date: 4/9/08 Section: News
In order to reach its long-term goal of converting Roberts Union to a dormitory, the College is planning to build a new science building to replace lost classroom and office space currently located in Roberts Union. The building will be located between Olin Science Center and the Schair-Swenson-Watson Alumni Center on the Colby Green, and will house the Psychology, Mathematics, and Computer Science departments. Construction on the building will begin at the earliest during the 2009-2010 academic year.
Since early January, a project team headed by Vice President for Administration and Treasurer Doug Terp and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty Ed Yeterian has been working closely with an architect from the Boston-based firm Shepley Bulfinch. Currently the committee is in the planning stages. Shepley also helped plan Olin and the still developing Colby Green, located across Mayflower Hill Drive from the academic quad. Other members of the project committee include Associate Professor and Chair of the Computer Science department Doctor Bruce Maxwell, Associate Professor of Mathematics Leo Livshits and Professor and Chair of the Psychology Department Thane Pittman, Physical Plant Department Director Patricia Murphy and Assistant Director William Stank.
Thus far, the committee's planning has focused primarily on the building's space definitions and schematic design. Though the building's exact physical dimensions have yet to be determined, it will be smaller than the Diamond Building and larger than Schair-Swenson-Watson. Its actual placement will depend on aesthetic factors related to the other buildings around, specifically, Olin and Schair-Swenson-Watson. More specific planning related to the interior structure and features of the building, such as the design of classrooms, labs and green considerations, will begin once these external plans are finalized. At that later stage, the respective representatives from the Psychology, Mathematics and Computer Science departments will consult more closely with the architect regarding the building's specialized features. Pursuing what, according to Doug Terp, is an "aggressive schedule," the committee will continue to work with the architect and Physical Plant Department through the summer to lay the framework for this more planning as soon as possible.
The construction of the new science building will help to free up needed space across campus in several different buildings, including Mudd, Arey and Roberts. In Roberts, the freed upstairs space will eventually be converted to dormitories while the meeting spaces currently there will move down to the first floor, where the soon-to-move bookstore is presently located. Tentative plans are also under consideration to move Security into Grossman. Though the budget for this long term project has yet to be decided, it will most likely, according to Terp, rely on a combination of gifts and borrowing.
Since early January, a project team headed by Vice President for Administration and Treasurer Doug Terp and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty Ed Yeterian has been working closely with an architect from the Boston-based firm Shepley Bulfinch. Currently the committee is in the planning stages. Shepley also helped plan Olin and the still developing Colby Green, located across Mayflower Hill Drive from the academic quad. Other members of the project committee include Associate Professor and Chair of the Computer Science department Doctor Bruce Maxwell, Associate Professor of Mathematics Leo Livshits and Professor and Chair of the Psychology Department Thane Pittman, Physical Plant Department Director Patricia Murphy and Assistant Director William Stank.
Thus far, the committee's planning has focused primarily on the building's space definitions and schematic design. Though the building's exact physical dimensions have yet to be determined, it will be smaller than the Diamond Building and larger than Schair-Swenson-Watson. Its actual placement will depend on aesthetic factors related to the other buildings around, specifically, Olin and Schair-Swenson-Watson. More specific planning related to the interior structure and features of the building, such as the design of classrooms, labs and green considerations, will begin once these external plans are finalized. At that later stage, the respective representatives from the Psychology, Mathematics and Computer Science departments will consult more closely with the architect regarding the building's specialized features. Pursuing what, according to Doug Terp, is an "aggressive schedule," the committee will continue to work with the architect and Physical Plant Department through the summer to lay the framework for this more planning as soon as possible.
The construction of the new science building will help to free up needed space across campus in several different buildings, including Mudd, Arey and Roberts. In Roberts, the freed upstairs space will eventually be converted to dormitories while the meeting spaces currently there will move down to the first floor, where the soon-to-move bookstore is presently located. Tentative plans are also under consideration to move Security into Grossman. Though the budget for this long term project has yet to be decided, it will most likely, according to Terp, rely on a combination of gifts and borrowing.
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