New science center to keep Oberlin competitive

Facility will be largest capital undertaking in history of Oberlin

Director of Sponsored Programs David Love and Associate Professor of Chemistry Al Matlin, cochairs of the Science Facilities Committee, wish they could speed up the planning process of the new science facility. "It is very exciting but we get itchy about it," Matlin said.

The two men have been working since March, along with other members of the committee, to conceptualize the new facility. The result of this work is a preliminary plan which was presented to the Board of Trustees at their meeting last weekend.

The next phase in the process is to receive feedback about the plan, and to then start specific architectural planning. According to Love and Matlin, once the preliminary plan has been approved, the process of completion would take an estimated four and a half years.

The project would be expensive, and the currently estimated $45 million price tag would be the largest capital project ever undertaken by the College.

Love and Matlin said, however, that science facilities are expensive, and that other schools who have completed similar projects have incurred high costs.

The proposed plan involves the demolition of the east side of Kettering, renovation of the rest of Kettering, construction of a new chemistry facility, renovation of Sperry and renovation of Wright. The plan would also include construction of a new science library. The chemistry building to be built behind Kettering would create a quadrangle with what would be left of Kettering. Inside the quadrangle would be a courtyard similar to that in Rice-King.

The new facility would create what Matlin and Love called a "science precinct not a science fortress." The facility would be an area where the sciences can come together more completely and with more ease than they do now.

The new library, what Matlin called the "hub of the wheel," would combine the collections now split between Wright and Kettering and have more seating as well as group study areas.

The end result, planners hope, will be a more centralized and inclusive science area, one that will reflect the cooperation and collaboration central to scientific thought. "Science is a very collaborative activity by its nature," Matlin said.

"The plans create a lot of synergy among the sciences," President Nancy Dye said. According to Love and Matlin, the current facilities represent not only outdated scientific thought, but also outdated teaching styles. They emphasized that as science has undergone shifts to more collaborative and interactive work between faculty and students, the facility needs of the sciences have changed as well.

Both men pointed out that other schools like Oberlin are saddled with similar out-of-date science facilities. Love said that the current facilities, built in the early 1960s, reflect the point science was at that time, but science has undergone massive changes since then.

Matlin and Love said that the committee had imagined the building to be a central space not only for the sciences but also for the College community as a whole. Matlin mentioned that they new facility would include new lecture halls that could serve as a better place to view movies and bring speakers.

The proposed idea also unifies the campus, according to planners, by cutting off the east end of Kettering, making less of a barrier between north and south campus.

An effect of the plan that Love and Matlin said must be considered is its shortening effect on North Quad. "My opinion is that the best thing you can do to North Quad is shorten it," Love said speaking of the long walk from north to main campus.

Planners of the project are eager to move forward. While Love said he wants to hear feedback on the plan, he also said that the committee has a real sense of urgency about the project.

"[Our science facilities] make a difference if Oberlin wants to be in a position to compete for students and faculty in the future," Love said. Matlin said that in recruiting new faculty being able to offer research space is fundamental.