Science building additions underway
With the first of three building phases complete, Physical Plant is ready to start additions to CLS
Kristina Meyer
Issue date: 2/5/10 Section: News
Perhaps most exciting to students will be the possibility of a café in the science building.
"We're tentatively planning a little café in the building - details to be determined," Greene said. "Dr. Lee was in charge of food service and now she's not here, but a lot of the plans are planned to accommodate that option."
Reich said that planning a café in an academic building has a distinct purpose, aside from simply feeding hungry college students.
"By having café commons, you'll be able to get something to eat while you wait for an instructor to come by so you can ask a question before class," Reich said. "It's a place to discuss something before or after class. This is a new campus trend now-creating little places where students can gather. And food, you know, helps."
Greene said that the University will begin to accept bids from contractors to erect the new portions of the buildings over the course of this semester.
This construction for phase two will take place over the summer and fall, potentially causing inconveniences for some students.
"During the summer, there will be quite a bit of disruption in and around Cowles, the library and Marrs McLean," Greene said. "For students to go from the chapel to the library or Chapman, they will have to walk further, around the east end of Cowles. To get to Halsell over the summer, you may have to go around the library."
The majority of inconveniences will potentially occur in the future upon the commencement of the third phase of the plan.
Despite these inconveniences, students still have a number of aspects of the building to look forward to.
The first phase of the construction process - the "enabling" phase - took place this semester when some spaces around campus were used for different purposes or ceased to be used at all. Chapman Auditorium was also renovated so that large science classes previously held in the Science Lecture Hall could be held there.
This move has been largely beneficial to students and faculty, according to Dr. David Ribble, professor and chair of biology.
"I think there are some advantages to Chapman as opposed to the Science Lecture Hall," Ribble said. "It smells better and it has nicer seating for students. I hear some faculty miss the more intimate setting of the Science Lecture Hall, but I think both students and faculty have adapted to this change."
In addition to the renovations of Chapman Auditorium and the disuse of the Science Lecture Hall, the departments of sociology and anthropology have been relocated to Storch Memorial Building and to a classroom in Parker Chapel
"We're tentatively planning a little café in the building - details to be determined," Greene said. "Dr. Lee was in charge of food service and now she's not here, but a lot of the plans are planned to accommodate that option."
Reich said that planning a café in an academic building has a distinct purpose, aside from simply feeding hungry college students.
"By having café commons, you'll be able to get something to eat while you wait for an instructor to come by so you can ask a question before class," Reich said. "It's a place to discuss something before or after class. This is a new campus trend now-creating little places where students can gather. And food, you know, helps."
Greene said that the University will begin to accept bids from contractors to erect the new portions of the buildings over the course of this semester.
This construction for phase two will take place over the summer and fall, potentially causing inconveniences for some students.
"During the summer, there will be quite a bit of disruption in and around Cowles, the library and Marrs McLean," Greene said. "For students to go from the chapel to the library or Chapman, they will have to walk further, around the east end of Cowles. To get to Halsell over the summer, you may have to go around the library."
The majority of inconveniences will potentially occur in the future upon the commencement of the third phase of the plan.
Despite these inconveniences, students still have a number of aspects of the building to look forward to.
The first phase of the construction process - the "enabling" phase - took place this semester when some spaces around campus were used for different purposes or ceased to be used at all. Chapman Auditorium was also renovated so that large science classes previously held in the Science Lecture Hall could be held there.
This move has been largely beneficial to students and faculty, according to Dr. David Ribble, professor and chair of biology.
"I think there are some advantages to Chapman as opposed to the Science Lecture Hall," Ribble said. "It smells better and it has nicer seating for students. I hear some faculty miss the more intimate setting of the Science Lecture Hall, but I think both students and faculty have adapted to this change."
In addition to the renovations of Chapman Auditorium and the disuse of the Science Lecture Hall, the departments of sociology and anthropology have been relocated to Storch Memorial Building and to a classroom in Parker Chapel
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