Finance and Commerce Daily Newspaper
By Adam Johnson
Dec 12, 2006
St. Olaf Science Complex project represents collaboration between college students and faculty.
St. Olaf College senior Kristen Roys takes pride in knowing she is one of the youngest people ever to design a building at the Northfield liberal arts institution. Of course, she didn't do the schematic work, but she was part of a design team that provided architects Holabird & Root and general manager Boldt Construction with extensive input on the college's 180,000-square-foot science complex, which broke ground on Dec. 1.
Ernie Wagner, project manager with Chicago-based Holabird & Root, said the firm often seeks input from faculty and students on higher education buildings. But this project represented a "unique collaboration" that included input from dozens of young minds and college faculty, he said.
The $65 million St. Olaf Science Complex, which will be built in two phases, represents the most expensive, and expansive, project ever mounted in the small town of 18,000. The building has been designed to achieve "gold" LEED certification, and it will be the first major science facility in the country designed with an emphasis on "green chemistry," a developing trend that seeks to minimize the need for hazardous chemicals in lab experiments. As a result, the building will boast far fewer fume hoods than the current science building, furthering the college's ongoing theme of environmental sustainability.
On another level, it embraces the notion of "building as teacher" -- crafting the physical layout of the building to promote interaction between peers and departments, as well as to foster interdisciplinary study. Ironically, much of the input for the "building as teacher" design has come from students. Roys, a senior in biology, got involved in the design process almost two years ago, attending weekly 7 a.m. meetings on building design while some of her college peers were just getting to sleep. "Getting up that early is no small feat for a college student," she noted. Between 10 and 20 people would show up at the meetings, from faculty to students to design and construction representatives. The topics ranged from broad concepts down to the smallest detail. Roys pointed to the building's central staircase as an example of the impact she and other students had on the design. They were given blank copies of the floor plan to provide their own ideas. Her vision for the staircase is remarkably close to the finished design.
"It really became an organic process, and we did a lot of things right there," said Pete Sandberg, facilities director at St. Olaf. At some point during the team's many discussions, in a small on-campus meeting room, an engineer with Holabird & Root began to draft images of the team's proposals with AutoCAD design software. Soon, participants were able to see the fruits of their work appearing live before their eyes. "If you have a really facile AutoCAD operator who really understands what's going on, it can provide huge benefits to the meetings, and we were lucky to have that," Sandberg said.
Design input also came from students other than those who served on the design group. Ian Campbell, another student who participated on the design team, organized meetings with student groups, such as the Biology Club and the Society of Physics Students, to obtain a rounded view of what features the college's massive new complex should contain. And college officials displayed potential furniture and design features in the halls of the current science building. Mock-up tables for lecture halls were set up in the lobby, and paper was left beside carpet and tile samples, allowing students to vote on their preferences in everything from labs to classrooms to offices. "This has been the most thorough review and design process I've ever been a part of," said Jim McConachie, project director with Boldt Construction in Appleton, Wis. "Every nook and cranny has been examined and re-examined in this space," he said. "Every aspect of the science curriculum has been examined and incorporated into the structure."
After years of work, the building process is just now about to get under way, so officials won't be able to breathe a sigh of relief anytime soon. The first phase of the project is expected to be completed by summer 2008, when students can experience the fruits of their labor. Unfortunately, students on the design team will have graduated by the time the project is completed.
Campbell said he envies students who will be around at that time. But he'll be able to return and point out the group study rooms that he pushed for while crafting a building that will be around for decades to come. "Although it was a bit daunting to become involved in such a large project, I am quite satisfied that the science complex we have designed will be a great facility for education, research, and even just for students to relax and socialize," Campbell said.
Wagner said his design team has faced a challenge in dealing with the project's massive scope and multi-faceted input, but he predicts it will pay off once the science complex is complete. "I think there are an enormous amount of ideas that are being served by this one project," he said.