Why rebuild not just renovate?
There were several reasons for not simply renovating.
- DeMeritt Hall has a wooden floor structure, which is weaker, less durable, and more subject to vibration than a steel floor structure.
- The floor to ceiling heights, which cannot be changed in a renovation project, are not conducive to research on the ground floor. Yet the ground floor is where much of the research must be for reasons of load and stability.
- In a renovation the load bearing walls must remain, putting severe constraints on designs driven by 21st century science needs.
- In a renovation there are always unexpected challenges that add money and time to the project.
- The marginal cost savings of a renovation was not enough to balance the difficulties listed above.
We are sad to lose the handsome exterior. While it is impossible to exactly replicate old facades (due to changes in construction practices), the new brick exterior compliments the surrounding buildings and adds some new architectural features.
We do hope to reuse the storage cabinets in the lab manager’s office; these will be in the new demonstration prep room. We are also investigating use of the wooden flooring, but asbestos and cleaning issues may make reuse impractical.
DeMeritt Hall History | Why rebuild and not just renovate? | Overiew of the new DeMeritt | Project timeline | Where will the Physics Department be located during rebuild? | Features of the new building | Virtual tour