Founders Hall Renovation Underway
The Founders Hall renovation taking place this summer is creating an open, attractive and welcoming student center.
Slated for completion in early August, the project is creating an atrium lobby and student organization center on the first floor, and expanding student art display space and repositioning Campus Life offices and WQFS on the second floor. Among the changes to the lower level are enlarging the Grill and installing an aquarium.
The project is entirely funded with gifts, among them a $2 million gift from the McMichael Family Foundation to the Advancing Excellence campaign.
View renderings of what the first and second floors and the lower level will look like after the renovation is completed.
Student, faculty and staff representatives on the renovation program committee established in the fall helped the design team with all aspects of a rigorous planning process and made recommendations to President Kent Chabotar. At least four community meetings were held to discuss the design work as well. Feedback from those sessions was important in finalizing renovation plans and drawings.
Renovations to Founders are part of more than $30 million of capital improvements on campus since 2002, most dedicated to enhancing housing and student life.
In the summer of 2004, a terrace and gazebo were added to the front of the building and improvements were made to the mechanical infrastructure. These improvements were funded by a portion of a $2 million gift by Ed and Vivien Bauman to the Our Time in History campaign and major gifts from the Cannon, Cemala and Mary Duke Biddle Foundations.
In the summer of 2010, nearly $1 million in renovations were made to the lower level of Founders, including the addition of dining options. The College bookstore was relocated and expanded with a new, separate space for textbook sales.
