New 'swing space' provides English a temporary home
Vol. 17, No. 26April 2, 1998

New 'swing space' provides English a temporary home

Fleda Brown Jackson in her temporary office

During the renovation of Memorial Hall, the majority of the building's occupants- members of the Department of English-are in temporary offices in a brick campus building just north of Alison Hall on Academy Street.

This new site is referred to as "swing space," Andy Welsh, Facilities, Planning and Construction, said. The building is still officially called the Maintenance Center. It is located near central campus and now contains 40 office cubicles on two floors.

Some major renovation projects planned for the future will involve Townsend Hall, the Carpenter Sports Building and Wolf Hall.

"When Memorial Hall is completed in early 1999," Welsh said, "the English department will move out and a new group will move in."

The swing space, Welsh explained, allows craftspeople to get into a renovation site and get the job done quickly. Working in an occupied building makes renovation difficult for office workers and construction people.

"Using the swing space is much more efficient," he said.

Low wall partitions and an open-space design allow efficient use of heating and air conditioning systems. In addition, Welsh said, the entire building was wired to accommodate the latest in data communication capabilities.

According to Welsh, "The location of the swing space allows faculty to be easily accessible to their students. The primary function of the University is academic, and by using this building as a temporary site for faculty, we are making much better use of the facility."

--Ed Okonowicz