Multi-faceted construction projects provide new campus space

The first phase of the Student Center expansion/Brady Commons renovation project built a 102,550 GSF addition to the east of Brady Commons. Subsequent phases will renovate the older building and connect it to the new addition. When completed, the complex will serve as a dynamic gathering place for MU students.

As teaching, research and administrative space-needs increase on campus, solutions have become multi-faceted. Construction now includes full and partial demolition, renovation, restoration and new construction.

Renovation/additions renew space

Three recent examples include the Schweitzer Hall addition and renovation, the Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI), and the Student Center/Brady Commons expansion. The design for each project included renovation of existing space and addition of new space to meet current and projected needs.

The Schweitzer Hall addition and renovation included renovating existing space to create new biochemistry research labs and constructing a connecting bridge or link to Schlundt Annex to physically join and consolidate the biochemistry department.

The RJI project involved the construction of a new building within the preserved structure of the historic Sociology Building and the addition of a link connecting this building to the renovated, historic Walter Williams Hall.

The Student Center/Brady Commons expansion project required a phased implementation to allow the bookstore and the Center for Student Involvement to relocate prior to demolishing a portion of the existing complex, and then renovating and building new space.

Completed in 2007, the Schweitzer Hall addition/renovation project added new space on the south side of the existing building, constructed a bridge over a major walkway to Schlundt Annex and renovated existing space. Exterior materials used for the new construction blend with the facade of the original building, constructed in 1912. The project helped consolidate campus biochemistry efforts on the east side of the White Campus.

Blending the new with the old

All campus projects are carefully evaluated to ensure compatibility with adjacent buildings and the campus environment. The RJI and Schweitzer projects, for example, were designed using the architectural vocabulary of adjacent neighbors; the Student Center project assembled a palette of materials, colors and textures common to the surrounding neighborhood and incorporated them in a contemporary manner to establish this facility as a distinct student-oriented destination.

Stewardship and sustainability incorporating 1) recycling and repurposing where appropriate, 2) designing for future flexibility and 3) the use of innovative technology and construction materials appropriate to fulfill the mission of the university, are emphasized in all campus projects.