Sampson Hoffland Laboratories Will Add State-of-the-Art Learning Facilities
Building Dedication Scheduled for Homecoming 2008, Friday, October 3, at 5 p.m.
To meet the needs of the changing environment for teaching and learning science, Luther broke ground May 11, 2007, on a 21st-century science facility that will support a more research-intensive curriculum and enable greater opportunities for hands-on discovery as students explore the sciences.
The lead capital project in Luther's $90-million Higher Calling campaign, the Sampson Hoffland Laboratories will create 64,000 square feet of new space adjacent to the east wing of Valders Hall of Science to house the departments of biology and chemistry. Construction of the new science center, the largest capital project in college history, is ahead of schedule and within budget. The center is projected to cost $20 million.
The need for new science facilities
Luther has forged an outstanding reputation in the sciences. Since Valders opened in 1961, the college's overall enrollment has doubled, and the number of science graduates has grown six-fold. While Valders has served the Luther campus well in the past 47 years, it is now inadequate for Luther's growing science programs, particularly in light of scientific and technological advances, changes in teaching methods, and the expansion of student-faculty research.
According to Carolyn Mottley, one of Luther's senior chemistry faculty, "In many ways, Valders has been a magnificent building. It's been in use for a lot of years, and we've simply outgrown it. There are a lot of great spaces in Valders, but it's not big enough and doesn't have the infrastructure we need to do science now."
Much has changed in the world of science education and research in recent decades. The number of subdisciplines represented in Luther's science curriculum has increased, class sizes and lab sections have grown, and research opportunities have expanded within both biology and chemistry. Lab benches now require more space for computer monitors and power supplies (not to mention microcentrifuges and pipettemen). Plus, the infrastructure for a modern science building requires more air handling and greater electrical power to fully accommodate the needs of technology-rich disciplines like chemistry and biology.
The project
Luther hired Opus Northwest Construction (Minnetonka, Minn.) as the architectural firm for the Sampson Hoffland Laboratories, a design-and-build project. It is estimated that construction will be completed by July 2008, the departments will move during late summer, and the center will be ready for classes in Fall 2008.
Within the three-level facility, the biology department will be housed on the first and second levels, and the chemistry department will be housed primarily on the third level. Generally, classroom laboratories are 200-300 square feet larger than the current labs, and they have been designed on a planning module that allows a variety of flexible equipment layouts in each lab to support teaching and research needs.
Research labs are interspersed with classroom labs to emphasize the role of research in the undergraduate curriculum. Windows offering views of laboratory spaces from circulation corridors have been planned where appropriate to display the process of science to onlookers. Also, three floors of study areas are designed in direct proximity with faculty offices to encourage and support interactions among students and faculty.
Renovation of the existing science hall is anticipated following construction of the new building; this will provide improved space for physics, psychology, and nursing.
Reflecting the college's institutional commitment to sustainability, the Luther building planning team enlisted the help of energy-efficiency engineers to design the new center to U.S. Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards--including lighting-control sophistication and other technologies developed to reduce energy consumption and heating and cooling costs.
For example, the heating and air-conditioning systems include a novel heat-recovery technology. College science buildings typically lose heated air through laboratory hood fans that expel air through vents outside the building. The new Luther building's system has a heat exchanger that uses the warm exhaust to heat incoming air. The building also make use of "green walls" to reduce cooling costs in the summer. Green walls create a phonic and thermal isolation system and act as an air-purification device. Other energy-efficiency technologies in the building include dual-flush toilets for water conservation and an innovative rain-garden system that will catch and control storm runoff.
How to make a gift or pledge
The center remains at the forefront of Luther's fund-raising efforts, and the project is within $250,000 of meeting its goal.
Without a doubt, the generous support received thus far from alumni, regents, parents, friends, and foundations is an investment in a learning environment that will be shared by promising young scientists and their exceptional faculty mentors. We are confident the center will solidify Luther's reputation as having one of the best undergraduate science programs among liberal arts colleges in the region.
To make a gift or pledge to support construction of the new science center, contact the Luther College Development Office at (800) 225-8664 or www.luther.edu/giving/. All gifts of $10,000 or more secured before June 2008 will be acknowledged on a donor recognition plaque in the new building.
