A new building to house physics and engineering was among a spate of construction projects discussed by the Board of Trustees at their meeting earlier this month.
The Board approved funding for the planning and design of the long-awaited building, though many details are yet to be determined. Students and faculty alike have long criticized the current Physics Building—which was built in 1948—for aesthetic and practical reasons. The construction of a new building has been under consideration for several years, but it was not until this year that sufficient funds were raised. Although the project is still in the beginning stage of design, plans for the new building include wet and dry research laboratories and more teaching space.
Vice President for Facilities John Noonan said that definitive dates for the construction of the new building have not yet been set.
“There will be high quality laboratory space for tabletop experimental program that is important for physics to attract outstanding students into physics and to attract faculty in such areas of research to Duke,” said Haiyan Gao, physics department chair and Henry Newson Professor of physics.
The Physics Building is the oldest structure on Science Drive. Plans for a new home for the department have been discussed intermittently for more than 15 years, and multiple feasibility studies have been conducted for possible renovations or construction, The Chronicle previously reported.
Gao said that poor quality laboratory space in the current Physics Building “hinders our visibility and progress” in important areas of research. She noted that space constraints in the existing building have also limited the extent to which introductory physics courses can incorporate interactive learning, but that additional teaching space in the new building will allow the department to make learning more hands-on.
“I'm certainly excited about the prospect for a new building," said Kate Scholberg, director of undergraduate studies for physics. “We could clearly improve teaching and student interaction space, as well as research facilities.”
The new building will be home to both the physics and engineering departments, creating a physical link between the two and promoting interdisciplinary learning.
“Sharing a building with engineering will boost synergy between physics and engineering further, which will create more education and research opportunities for students and faculty in physics and engineering,” Gao said.
The 2014 Facilities Management Project Summary reports that the new building—whose construction will be led by American-based architecture firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson—will be located in the area adjacent to the Teer Building at the end of Science Drive. Its architects will incorporate design recommendations from the US Green Building Council. The funds for the construction will come from private donations, the project summary notes.
The new space for physics and engineering was one of eight construction or renovation projects discussed at the Trustees' May meeting. The current renovations to the West Duke Building and the upcoming work on Wallace Wade Stadium were discussed, along with plans for a 2015 renovation of Edens Quadrangle dormitories and construction of a new parking garage at the corner of Cameron Boulevard and Science Drive set to be finished in 2016.
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