Engineering school readies for new facility

The approval process for the $77 million Center for Interdisciplinary Engineering and Applied Sciences, which could triple the size of the Pratt School of Engineering to approximately 240,000 square feet, is currently underway.

"The center is intended to be a complement of research space and some complement of individual and teaching facilities for the school," said Bartley Guthrie, a pre-programming architect from the Zimmer, Gunsul and Frasca architectural firm.

The project will not be officially approved until the next Board of Trustees meeting in early December, but officials at the Pratt School are optimistic about its successful completion. "We have the University behind us and we have the administration behind us," said Judge Carr, director of development for Pratt.

The two-wing building will facilitate the development of the school's new bio-engineering, nanoscience and photonics initiatives. In addition, officials said the new building will work with other branches of the University.

"There will be encouraged collaboration with the Medical Center, physics department, and others," said project manager Pete Romeyn, an engineer in the University architect's office.

The building will be located between Hudson Hall, the Divinity School and the Telcom Building. Because of its location, the design of the new center will be challenging. The facility will have to blend in with the different styles of old and new architecture, Guthrie explained. He added that the environmental effects of the project must also be taken into account. "The goal is to preserve and protect the vast majority of the hillside below the Chapel," Guthrie said.The school also faces challenges in finding funding for construction. The school's development office expects to raise about $20 million from donations. They also hope to institute a mini-campaign to find additional donors. Carr said the school has already begun negotiations with potential donors to give a large initial gift. "The gift is important to show people that others are interested in seeing the building go forth," said Carr. The engineering school has also applied for a Whitaker Foundation grant, which could bring in $12 million.

The project is expected to get underway after the architects are chosen in December and following another eight to 10 months of finalizing the design. Officials hope to break ground in August 2001 and the building will be ready for occupancy by the last quarter of 2003.