EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS: Now it's concrete

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by Nick Tsihlis

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The campus construction boom is in full swing. The construction site for the Computational Engineering Building on the engineering quadrangle has been joined by work on the Baker Institute building, next to Herring Hall, and construction on the Nanotechnology Building will begin in May.

Construction at the Baker site was begun before the start of winter break and is progressing on schedule, according to John Posch, an architect at Facilities and Engineering. Major earthmoving has been completed, and work is now underway on drilling foundation piers.

Work at the CEB site is about 60 percent complete, according to F&E architect Bill Tomlinson.

Due to early foundation problems and difficulty with the precast concrete, construction is slightly behind schedule, but Tomlinson said that with "a hard push" from the construction crew, the building will be ready for its scheduled occupancy date of Aug. 1.

The precast concrete and brickwork on the exterior is approximately 40 percent finished, and the roof is going up fairly quickly as well. The windows will be installed in about two weeks. Once the building is sealed, the interior work (drywall and partition installation) can begin. An interior color mock-up will be constructed beginning March 15 to allow the architects to preview the building's color scheme. Carpets and furniture will be added in late summer, in time for students and faculty to use the building.

The design of the Nanotechnology Building is about 60 percent complete, according to F&E director Bill Mack. The building will sit behind the Space Science Building, near Entrance 13.

Researchers seem pleased with the results. "It was a long struggle, but in the end [the administration and architects] responded well," an anonymous chemistry professor said. "I think most people who will be occupying the building are satisfied with it at this stage. The layout is well thought out."

The exterior design also caused some problems. The architect, Anton Predock, is known for stark, concrete complexes, and even his Rice design is fairly unconventional. At one point, a sallyport was being considered (at the request of the Board of Governors, according to one source), but that was eventually removed.

Construction of the building is scheduled to begin in May, with completion in July of 1997.

An online feature, Educational Foundations, provides more information about new buildings on the Rice campus.

Additional Information

CEB:

100,000 sq. ft.

CAAM, Computer Science, CITI, CRPC, Dean of Engineering

$22.2 million

opens fall '96

Baker Institute:

60,000 sq. ft.

Baker Institute, Political Science, Economics, Dean of Social Sciences

$11.7 million

opens early '97

Nanotechnology:

80,000 sq. ft.

Chemistry, Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Dean of Natural Sciences

$17.5 million

opens July '97

Space Sciences:

remodeled for Chemistry

$1.75 million

July '97

This item appeared in the News section of the February 9, 1996 issue.

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