Union announced today a key part of its ambitious Engineering and Computer Science Initiative that includes the addition of a new building and renovations to Butterfield Hall and other spaces that will strengthen the College’s offerings.
The $60 million project, funded fully by gifts, will be completed in two phases. The first phase involves the construction of a three-story, 30,500-square-foot building for engineering programs. The first floor will feature three new classrooms, the 3D print lab and collaborative spaces for students.
The second and third floors will feature teaching labs for civil engineering, environmental engineering and biomedical engineering. There will be research lab facilities for faculty in those disciplines, along with gathering/resource spaces for students. The project also includes an additional 10,700-square-feet of programmable space in the basement of the new building.
The new building, in the courtyard area adjacent to Olin, Wold and ISEC, will connect to the Integrated Science and Engineering Complex, enhancing a fully unified and integrated space.
A groundbreaking is planned for this summer, with the building expected to open in fall 2027.
The second phase involves the renovation of the first and second floors of Butterfield Hall, which was built in 1917-18. These spaces will be relocated to the new building, and engineering and computer science faculty offices in Steinmetz Hall will be relocated to Butterfield. As part of the project, Steinmetz, built in 1930, will be demolished.
In addition, the project includes enhancing the size and quality of space for the burgeoning Department of Computer Science. Currently, the department is spread out across several buildings.
Renovations to the Olin and Wold centers will create more spacious classrooms and additional labs and student resource/lounge space, all designed to create a vibrant environment on the ground floor of those two buildings to facilitate teaching, learning and discovery.
Funding for the ECSI project was provided by Union donors, including a previously announced $40 million lead gift from Class of 1980 graduates Mary and Rich Templeton.
“We are extremely grateful for the generous support from the Templetons, along with other donors,” said President David R. Harris. “Their generosity is a testament to their deep commitment to Union’s future, and to the importance of engineering and computer science as a key component of a Union education.”
As the first liberal arts college to offer engineering in 1845, Union holds a distinctive place in higher education.
“When complete, the project will best showcase Union's engineering and computer science to prospective students, upgrade the experience of students in these programs, enable faculty scholarship, and cement Union as a premier national undergraduate institution offering engineering and computer science in a broader liberal arts context,” said Michele Angrist, the Stephen J. and Diane K. Ciesinski Dean of Faculty and vice president for Academic Affairs.
As the initial director of the Templeton Institute for Engineering and Computer Science, Jennifer Currey, the Horace E. Dodge III Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and chair of the department, was involved in the early planning phases of this latest project.
She said the new building is an important step in supporting engineering, given the growing popularity of biomedical engineering and the recent additions of civil and environmental engineering programs.
“Our BME students are thrilled to finally have a space that they can thrive in while at the same time remaining connected to ISEC. This will enable the continuation of collaborations across disciplines,” said Currey.
“We are also excited for the integration of Maker spaces and collaborative spaces in the ECSI building, which will enhance our thriving MakerWeb led by Cole Belmont.”
The architects for the project are Payette Architects of Boston. LeChase Construction of Schenectady is the construction manager.
“Over the past 20 years, Union has invested in building and/or renovating nearly all the buildings associated with the liberal arts portion of its curriculum,” said Angrist. “This project rounds out that investment by enhancing the physical plant associated with the engineering portion of the curriculum.”