Rice construction will enhance campus for students and neighbors alike

Rice construction will enhance campus for students and neighbors alike

BY JESSICA JOHNS POOL
Rice News staff

Rice has launched an extensive construction program that will provide room for more students and new amenities over the next few years, but thanks to careful planning and communication, the building boom should have minimal impact on nearby neighbors.

Almost the entire Rice community is involved in some aspect of the construction, and representatives from several areas have been meeting weekly to track progress and anticipate emerging issues. The cross-functional team also meets regularly with neighborhood groups and city officials.

The team is working to manage noise and dust and to ensure that the construction does not compromise green space and the overall quality of surrounding neighborhoods. One issue of particular concern, both on and off campus, is the trees.

“Trees are a beloved part of Rice,” said Barbara White Bryson, associate vice president for Facilities, Engineering and Planning. “We’ll actually increase the number of trees on campus once we’re finished.”

During the pre-design stage, team members attend neighborhood association meetings to discuss the details of any building located off-campus, such as the new graduate student apartments on Shakespeare Road.

Listening to the neighbors

“We listen to what people say, then work with our architects and project managers on how we can accommodate their ideas,” Bryson said. “For example, we’re working especially hard to maintain green space and minimize height on the Shakespeare property because those were the top priorities expressed by the neighbors.”

Another goal is to keep traffic moving, so the team is creating a special map for contractors. Each contractor will be assigned an entrance and parking on campus for their workers and equipment, as well as recommended routes to use when bringing in equipment and supplies.

“We’ve strongly recommended that our contractors use only main streets and certain entrances to balance traffic flow around campus,” Greg Marshall, director of community and government relations said. “We have plenty of parking on campus for the extra workers.”

Rice is also developing a shuttle service to run between the Shakespeare apartments and campus that neighbors will be able to ride free.

“The shuttle service will help mitigate traffic and serve Rice students, our neighbors and Rice Village retailers,” said Marshall.

Getting the word out

To help keep people up-to-date, the Department of Facilities, Engineering and Planning has installed the first of several webcams at major construction projects. The first is focused on the Collaborative Research Center, located at the corner of Main and University streets. The next webcam will begin operating in mid-June at the new South Plant site located on Main Street. A construction information center where neighbors and campus visitors can visit to learn more will open on the south end of Alumni Drive around the middle of July.

In addition, the university will keep the surrounding community informed through the Rice Web site, special e-mails, paper mailings and regular meetings with neighborhood groups, said Linda Thrane, vice president for public affairs.

”This will be something to watch,” Thrane said.  ”Each project is adding to the vitality and beauty of Rice. Some, like the new residential colleges, will allow us to educate more students; others, like the Collaborative Research Center, will enhance our ability to conduct research that will improve lives and livelihoods around the world; and others, like the new pavilion behind Fondren Library, will help make Rice more inviting to the surrounding community.”

Many projects, such as those in the Recreation Center, Allen Center and engineering buildings, will bring much-needed updates to equipment and space in some of Rice’s older buildings. 

”The construction may cause a few inconveniences in the short term, and we’ll do everything we can to manage and mitigate that,” she said. 

“The new buildings and other projects are the most visible element of our Vision for the Second Century effort. Rice is a vibrant intellectual center for Houston and the activities that will take place in these new buildings will help us cultivate an even greater community of learning and discovery.”

The Vision for the Second Century is President David Leebron’s 10-point plan to increase the Rice student body by 30 percent, expand international outreach and community outreach, expand research programs and increase collaborative relationships with other institutions.

Learn more about the construction on Rice University’s campus by visiting: