Campus sees major renovations over the summer

Renovation, not recreation, seems to have been the keyword on campus this summer.

While students were away for the summer, Penn's campus saw a major overhaul of a number of buildings and spaces. The changes were among a series of long-range renovation plans.

Most visibly, Du Bois College House received a complete makeover. The lobby has been redone and now includes a handicap-accessible ramp. Other changes include new floors, lighting, windows and furniture, upgraded bathroom fixtures and plumbing, air-conditioning for public areas and a new heating system.

Du Bois House Dean Patricia Williams and Associate Vice Provost for Equity and Access William Gipson, the Du Bois Faculty Master, expressed delight with the changes.

"The building looks much more inviting - the windows especially make it feel more [like] a part of campus," said Gipson.

Students, too, were appreciative. Collin Williams, a College senior and returning Du Bois resident, helped push for earlier renovations.

"The renovations mean a lot," he said. "They have shown us that the school does value student opinions."

Rodin College House also benefited from renovations this summer. The first 12 floors received new bathrooms, kitchens, linoleum flooring and improved lighting in the hallways, said House Dean Ken Grcich . The top floors were renovated in summer 2008.

Other college houses saw minor renovations, such as windows and heating systems in Kings Court English College House and elevators in Harrison and Harnwell college houses, as well as in Sansom Place.

The new Ben Franklin Way between the Quadrangle and Locust Walk was a gift from the Class of 1962 and features 19 large granite slabs, each displaying one of Ben Franklin's many aphorisms. The project is intended to portray Franklin's personality, explained University Architect David Hollenberg .

The "Love" statue was removed from its locations for five weeks while it was being conserved, but is now back in its home along Locust Walk.

Construction on the new Annenberg Public Policy Center was also completed. The building features a double-skin wall with movable wooden panels behind the glass windows. This setup allows the temperature to be controlled in each individual room and uses a sophisticated interactive lighting system to suggest the best way to achieve optimal temperature settings.

The Morris Arboretum was also completed, and Penn Park began construction, with major work set to begin in mid-September.

Other summer renovations included the Mask and Wig Club House's façade, classrooms in the David Rittenhouse Laboratories and the Moore Building, restrooms in Van Pelt Library and Steinberg-Dietrich Hall, the interior of the Music Building and the exterior of the Morgan Building. A garden is also being installed behind the Penn Women's Center.

*Updated Sept. 4, 9 a.m. - This article has been changed to reflect that the Annenberg Public Policy Center is a new building on which construction was recently completed.

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