Vol. 17, No. 20	Feb. 19, 1998

Technology in the service of teaching

Gore Hall is built in the Georgian style of the other buildings of the Mall, but its details are unique.

One indication of how well the new building blends into the Mall is that first-time visitors to the campus frequently ask when the "renovations" to the building will be completed.

A striking attribute of Gore Hall is its scale. The four columns that grace the Mall entrance each stand 31 feet tall and weigh 24,000 pounds.

The columns were custom built by Dupuis Memorials Inc. of Opelousas, La. The UD columns are the tallest the company has built to date. The base of each column is 48-1/2 inches in diameter, and each tapers to a 39-1/2-inch-diameter at the top. A square cap holds the top of each column in place.

Inside, Gore Hall's high ceilings give a feeling of openness. Floors are terrazzo, and walls are plaster. All the wood trim is solid mahogany, painted white. All the handrails inside and outside the building are custom made of solid brass. The large light fixtures at the main entrances were custom designed and handmade, just for this building. In the case study rooms, the built-in desks are solid, stained mahogany wood with Corian tops, and they are wired for power and data hookups.

Tablet armchairs have been customized with oversized arms made by a local company and installed at the site to provide a better work surface for students. Particular attention was given to the acoustical treatment of the building to ensure that the classrooms would be quiet with no noise transference from outside.

Gore Hall has a distinctive color scheme: Entrances are red, and each floor features a different color, with varying shades of yellow on the first floor, blue on the second floor and tan on the third floor. Trim throughout is white, and the classrooms are all white, except for the case study rooms.

Each floor has its own heating/cooling system and its own set of restrooms.

The only office in the building is the Center for Teaching Effectiveness on the second floor.

Established in 1975, the center supports the instructional improvement efforts of faculty, TAs and other teaching staff, facilitates the education of graduate teaching assistants, cultivates an institutional climate which values and rewards teaching and promotes high quality student learning.

Photo by Jack Buxbaum