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William Paterson University in Wayne has completed construction on a new 67,000-square-foot addition to its Science Building that provides students and faculty with contemporary classrooms and research facilities designed to encourage an interactive learning environment.
Phase two of the project, a renovation of the 165,000-square-foot existing Science Building, which was built in 1972, has begun. Scheduled for completion in summer 2011, the renovation will include new computer labs, teaching labs, a microscopy suite, “smart” classrooms with digital network and audiovisual capabilities, a new greenhouse, and wireless technology.
“This new building puts us in the forefront of science education in New Jersey,” says President Arnold Speert. “The Science Building project is part of our ongoing commitment to provide state-of-the-art facilities that give students the ability to learn from faculty experts in hands-on situations that prepare them for the complex demands of today’s world.”
“Our faculty scientists worked closely with the architects to design a building and environment that maximizes the ability of faculty to teach students in sophisticated labs and small classes,” says Sandra DeYoung, dean of the College of Science and Health. “We now have a facility that matches the expertise of our faculty.”
The addition, to be known as the Science Annex, contains 18 state-of-the-art modular research laboratories designed to support undergraduate studies and research and 12 teaching labs for upper-level courses in areas such as biology, biotechnology, molecular research, physics, tissue culture, physical, analytical and organic chemistry, physiology, environmental science and ecology, and instrumentation. Research and laboratory spaces are configured to allow for collaboration between faculty and students.
“The students are going to benefit greatly from this new modern facility,” says Lance Risley, professor of biology, who has served as the project shepherd for the past four years. “Several of the research labs are designed to allow students to work with faculty members as part of a research group, which is a highly desirable educational experience.”
The building also contains two 75-seat lecture halls, one with traditional theater seating, and the other in a nontraditional horseshoe shape. “The horseshoe shape of the lecture hall places the instructor in the middle of the students, who face each other, making the space very interactive,” says Risley. “This space is indicative of the collaborative experience we are encouraging between faculty and our upper-level students, in which faculty and students are part of a learning community.”
The Science Annex is equipped with the latest digital technology. Nine laboratories are outfitted with touch-screen digital control systems to which faculty can connect laptops, document cameras, DVD/VCR/Blu-Ray players or other digital equipment. Five classrooms contain single unit digital displays with podiums and touch screen control systems; three additional classrooms are equipped with dual projectors to allow for multiple projected images. Each classroom and laboratory has an electronic screen with ceiling-mounted LCD projectors. Screens are in a wide-screen format. The entire building is outfitted with wireless technology.
Numerous gathering spaces are provided for students, including a large lounge located in a new two-story atrium entrance that connects the Science Annex to the existing Science Building. One wall in the atrium will feature historical timelines of the disciplines that will be located in the building. Informal learning spaces are also located at the end of each hallway of the three-story facility, allowing students to collaborate, connect to the network, and socialize. Large windows throughout the building take advantage of natural light and facility’s location in tree-filled Caldwell Plaza.
The New York office of HOK, one of the world’s leading architectural design firms, developed the programming and created the design for the addition and renovation of the existing building.
The Science Building addition and renovation project is an important aspect of the University’s pursuit of its Student Success Plan and Facilities Master Plan, which recognize the continually growing student demand for modern campus facilities that are conducive to learning.
The current project follows the opening in fall 2007 of the University Commons, which includes the expanded and renovated John Victor Machuga Student Center, Wayne Hall, and a new Conference Center, and the opening of two new residence halls, High Mountain East and High Mountain West, in 2006. In 2002, the University opened a new academic building at 1600 Valley Road in Wayne, which houses the Cotsakos College of Business, including the Russ Berrie Institute for Professional Sales Laboratory, and the Financial Learning Center; the College of Education; and the Center for Continuing and Professional Education. The Power Art Center, the University’s building devoted to the studio arts, opened in spring 2000.
