Trustees approve science center funding

North Quad will be dissected pending final approval of the new Science Center the College plans to build there.

"We're off to the races with the science building," President of the College Nancy Dye said.

At its meeting last Friday the Board of Trustees was presented with the results of a pre-design phase for the facility and approved funding for the next stage of the design process, schematic design.

Four other stages remain after that: design development, construction documents, opening the project to bids and then construction.

Director of Facilities Planning and Construction Bob Scheren said, "If the Board of Trustees approves the plan, the funding would come from the 1998 and 1999 capital campaigns."

The estimated cost of the Science Center is $40 million in the long-run. A campaign to raise capital is planned for '98 and '99 largely to pay for the facility.

The current proposed design is from the Boston architectural firm Payette Associates. The plan calls for demolishing the east side of Kettering Science Hall and the south end of Barrows Hall. The remaining western half will be expanded and renovated. The construction of the new building would replace what was demolished and would entail a relocated science library and chemistry department.

The new building would cut across North Quad, connecting an expanded Sperry Neuroscience building with a renovated Wright Physics building.

Oberlin's rugby team is one of several groups which use the North Quad. When asked about the planned construction, Rugby coach senior Fernando Bertos said, "They are leaving room in North Quad; aside from the cost and all, I think it is a good proposal. The quad has lots of room to do this."

The proposed demolishing of the south end of Barrows will displace 47 beds. "It may have some other impacts that we are still trying to assess," Assistant Director of Residential Life and Services Dennis Rupert said.

Barrows south-wing resident first-year Nick Elder said, "I think this place is ugly; I think they should tear it down."

Rupert said, "Although we had been discussing new housing for a while, now this is really pushing the question."

The new facility would be used by the Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Neuroscience departments.

"Chemistry needed better air handling and exhaust hoods. The labs needed to be reconfigured for current curriculum and pedagogical needs," Professor of Chemistry Albert Matlin said. "Chemistry is improving the quality, not the net square footage of its area." The Biology and Neuroscience departments will have the largest increase in area within the planned facility, with Biology getting a 50 percent increase in area to accommodate the growth in the size of its faculty since Kettering was built.

Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Biology Janice Thornton said, "Right now, Neuroscience has two small laboratories; we really needed space for research and classes."

Matlin agreed. "The Neuroscience center was too small when it was built," he said.

As part of the renovation of Wright, an addition containing a small lecture hall that can double as a planetarium will be built.

"What I envision is something more versatile than a conventional planetarium," Professor of Physics Daniel Stinebring said.

The current plan also includes extending an enclosed walkway from the current Sperry Arcade to the sidewalk on Lorain street. An archway underneath the connection between the new building and Wright will also allow pedestrian traffic between the two sides of the divided North Quad. Large glass windows on the first floor of the new building would give a clear line of sight from the top end of the North Quad to Lorain Street.

Kettering Kingdom: The new Science Center plans include a proposal to link Wright physics building to Sperry Neuroscience. The process of designing and building the new center is estimated to cost $40 million. (photo courtesy Public Relations)