New UP Library

There have been discussions of replacing the Clark Library for many many years... it looks like it may finally be gathering some momentum now.

Check out the info page from the library web site: New Library Concept Pics

A new/expanded library is long overdue! As is a replacement for Howard Hall...

Oooooh! Nice find, PilotNut! If/when that happens, it will look terrific right there on the main quad. I'm loving that glass entrance, and of course the red brick fits in perfect with the rest of the campus.

I think the big question with the new library is what they will use as the temporary library until construction is done. Maybe the track of the Chiles Center? Or - if they build a new tennis center down below - the current tennis center? I think when Santa Clara built their new library they used Buck Shaw stadium as the temporary library.

On another note, ground has definitely broken on the new dorms over by the University Village. They should be ready by the Fall of 2009. Pretty cool.

I didnt realize they had broke ground on those already--cool!

Are they "traditional" dorms, or are they the apartment-style like University Village?

Kind of a mixture. I think the idea is to have buildings that are still traditional dorms but also will appeal to upper classmen. So a lot of the rooms are larger and have private bathrooms or share bathrooms with only one other room. Actually, the best place for details is probably this Beacon article from a few months ago:

http://media.www.the-beacon.net/media/storage/paper1193/news/2008/02/28/News/Dorm-Details.Revealed-3242594.shtml

Also... as a proud former Beaconite, I've got to give props to The Beacon for winning first place in the general excellence category of the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association awards. Anyone who saw the Beacon this year wouldn't be surprised - it was terrific, and was probably the best year for the Beacon I can remember, and maybe even ever.

Thanks for the link, a great article. I like that they are trying to keep the mix of all classes in one building...

I havent been up to campus in a while... has construction begun on the new Shiley Hall (Engineering Hall)? I know that Shipstad and Villa are due for remodels soon, too...

Yeah, they have been working on Shiley Hall for a while now (even during the school year) but it has really ramped up this summer. I think the plan is to have it mostly done by this fall.

And you're right about Shipstad and Villa... I think they are getting some sprucing up this summer too, though nothing too major.

But I think most major construction plans are on hold until the Triangle Park (the land below the Bluff) is settled. I know progress is being made in that department, but it's tough to say if and when it will happen. Hopefully by the end of this year at the latest, that's for sure.

Why do they need a library? No one goes to college to learn. They should tear down the library and put up a laser tag arena.

Dude... we already have one. It's called LaserPort. Didn't Sean have a b-day party there in HS? Or was it someone else? I don't know. All I remember is a laser tag b-day party.

When I was on campus taking pics of the Chiles Center painting I went ahead and took some shots of the other construction projects going on. Here is the new dorm site:



Kinda tough to tell, but it's already dug in pretty deep and they have laid some foundation stuff. Looks like it's going to take up roughly 3/5 of that field, and just from the footprint of the construction you can tell it's going to be pretty darn big.

Here are some shots of Shiley Hall (nee the Engineering Building):







Most of the major construction is being done on the back side (facing the Tennis Center) away from the main quad. There is going to be a big glass main entrance there, and you can tell from the last shot that it will really be widening the building a lot. The front side (facing the quad) is also getting work done - pretty much all of the windows where knocked out and I could tell that the classrooms were under major construction. But I think when it's all said and done the quad side will look pretty much the same, but the back side will look totally different.

I've always thought that is a part of campus that has a ton of potential, and it's cool to see that some work is finally being done over there. When we get the land down below, I know the idea is to move the Tennis Center and the Physical Plant (the current Physical Plant building would be renovated and made into labs for Shiley Hall - a perfect use since it's thick concrete walls will allow them to do experiments that they can't currently do due to safety regulations), which would totally open up that whole area for something really exciting... the new Howard maybe? Or another new dorm? Or maybe a new academic building? Lots of possibilities, and it has some of best views on campus. It's not much to look at now with the P-Plant, Tennis Center, and the parking lot, but with a little imagination... it could be something pretty awesome.

I also took a pic of the Old Science Hall, which was cleaned up last summer. They cut away a lot of the vegetation and ivy that was in front of it/on it and totally cleaned the front, and it looks amazing:



I've always thought Old Science was the prettiest building on campus (I guess I just like that old gothic look) and it really does look great now. It's tough to take a pic of the whole building because there are so many trees over there, but I think this pic shows the front entrance pretty well.

Also, I bumped into Fr. Beauchamp while cruising around and he told me that they also have plans to build a new building by the Commons, out in the grassy area on the Bluff (by where KDUP and those picnic tables are). Originally I thought that would just be a bump-out expansion of the Commons, but Fr. Bill told me that it was going to be separate and that it would nearly double the available space for the Commons. Nice! But I'm not sure when that is going to happen... though it would probably have to coincide with the opening of the new dorm.

Very comprehensive view of what's going on. The doors on the science hall look awesome. I'm surprised I never really noticed them before.