Kingsbury Construction 
If you’ve been to the University of New Hampshire’s Durham campus lately, then you probably already know that the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences is in the midst of a major renovation and expansion project.
SKANSKA is renovating the entire building, adding more than 20,000 assignable square feet to give the new Kingsbury 113,000 square feet of modern, assignable space. It will be home to four engineering departments—Chemical, Civil, Electrical & Computer and Mechanical—as well as Mathematics & Statistics and Computer Science.
New high-tech classrooms and a new 45,000 sq.ft. wing devoted entirely to teaching labs will make Kingsbury Hall worthy of the outstanding reputation the college has already built within its walls. When the “new” Kingsbury Hall is completed in 2007, the world-class facility will be a resource, not only for aspiring engineers and scientists, but also for engineering businesses and industries statewide.
The UNH
Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science Library is a prime example.
When the renovations are complete, the library will more than double in
size to about 11,000 square feet. Its 45,000 volumes, including 890 current
periodical subscriptions, are available to anyone from the community with
research and educational needs.
“Unlike private institutions, which may have restricted visitor policies,
our doors are always open. It’s part of our mission,” says Librarian Emily
Poworoznek.
The planned entrance to the library is a soaring, light-filled space enclosed in glass, an invitation to come inside. “The periodical room is a visible symbol,” says Poworoznek, “of the institution’s commitment to learning and research—and of our openness.”
Another major improvement to the 55-year-old building will be the addition of 6,000 square feet of dedicated student project space. No longer will the concrete canoe team have to store its canoe in a parking lot, or the mini-Baja team keep its vehicle in a chicken coop.
During planning for the new building, the Kingsbury Hall Renovation Committee solicited input from students, staff and faculty members. Other partners in the process were the CEPS Industrial Advisory Council, the architectural firm Rothman Partners of Boston and educational planning consultants Paulien and Associates of Denver.
The existing building, though state-of-the-art when it was built for $1 million in 1949, has become antiquated. A Rothman report found it “industrial and uninspiring: a three-story brick building with an imposing front and a fortress-like back.” If nothing else, however, Kingsbury is rich with history for the thousands of aspiring engineers, scientists and mathematicians who spent countless hours listening to lectures, agonizing over exams and pulling all-nighters within its walls.
While the building’s façade will be modernized to attract a new generation of science and engineering students, the university is working diligently to preserve other aspects of Kingsbury’s history, most notably the “Atomic Age” mural located in the library.
Created by longtime UNH art professor John Hatch, the mural depicts—literally—the double-edged sword of modern technology, with violent images of war on the left side of the sword and peaceful images on the right. Painted in the 1950s, the mural has become an important symbol of the college. The area which currently houses the mural is slated for demolition in Phase II of the project and successfully moving it will be an engineering feat in itself. Archival quality digital images of the mural have been taken so that the mural can be repaired or reproduced if necessary.
The
UNH Foundation
continues to raise funds for the Kingsbury project. The very first contributor
was Kingsbury Inc. of Philadelphia, the company founded by the building’s
namesake. A UNH professor of mechanical engineering form 1889 to 1899, Albert
Kingsbury was recognized internationally as a lubrication expert and
the inventor of the Kingsbury thrust bearing. Substantial gifts have also
come from Fisher Scientific, alumnus Jack Smith and BAE
Systems of Nashua, which gave $1 million.
Plaque Campaign
In addition, a separate campaign was launched last fall to raise money for
furniture and lab equipment. For gifts of $250, $500 and $1,000, donors
will have the name of their choice engraved on a bronze, silver or gold
plaque that will hang in the new building. So far, nearly $100,000 as been
raised. Click the plaque image to contribute or contact
the Dean’s Office at (603) 862-1781.
Both campaigns supplement a $44 million state appropriation through the first phase of KEEP-NH—the Knowledge Economy Education Plan, the New Hampshire Legislature’s initiative to improve capital property throughout the university system.