‘New’ Old Chem Building Move-in Set for 2000

‘New’ Old Chem Building Move-in Set for 2000

RICE NEWS STAFF
Dec. 10, 1998

Ever wonder what those little blue flags marking the field near the library are, or what is going on behind the fence at Old Chemistry?

In an effort to keep the Rice community apprised of new construction, as well as additions, demolitions and renovations of current buildings and lots, a short update on projects will be published every two to three weeks. This is the first in that series.

* Old Chemistry Building Renovation

Valhalla will not be affected, and aside from some cosmetic changes and new windows, the outside of Old Chemistry will look the same. Inside, however, the building is undergoing some major alterations.

Kathy Jones, project manager for Linbeck Construction, reports that asbestos abatement crews have been hard at work since June. In August, the demolition crews began gutting the inside of the building; this part of the project should be finished by the end of this month. The main renovation of the interior will begin in December.

The “new” Old Chemistry building, which will eventually be given a new name, should be ready for move-in by January 2000. It will house the dean of Natural Sciences and the Department of Bioengineering, the Keck Center for Computational Biology, as well as the biophysics and bioengineering labs.

The building will also feature three new classrooms, a seminar room with two-way video teleconferencing capabilities, a “company lab,” for use by businesses doing joint ventures with Rice, and an undergraduate teaching lab. A new lobby will be created as a formal entrance to the Department of Bioengineering, which will be housed on the first floor.