At its most recent meeting, the Auburn Board of Trustees approved the initiation of a project to build a two-building academic and laboratory complex to replace Allison Laboratory and Parker Hall.
The buildings will be called the Academic Classroom and Laboratory Complex and will serve as a part of the University’s master plan to enhance student success.
According to University architect Jim Carroll, the ACLC, along with the soon-to-come Mell Classroom Building, will help increase student engagement on campus.
“The reason we are adding these spaces is to increase the opportunity for student success,” Carroll said. “This project is transformative for Auburn University. The two-building complex will house classrooms and laboratories for the College of Sciences and Mathematics.”
Facilities Management underwent studies to determine which buildings on campus required the most maintenance and operation, and that was Allison Laboratroy and Parker Hall, according to Dan King, associate vice president for facilities.
“(Allison and Parker) are in serious disrepair,” King said. “The new buildings that would go on that site can provide capabilities far in excess of what Parker and Allison can currently provide the University.”
SGA president Logan Powell said the University will incorporate interactive-learning styles, such as easel learning.
“Easel-style is where you sit down at a round table with interactive maps and televisions,” Powell said. “It allows visually interactive learning, and I think COSAM students really desire that and want to see that from the campus.”
Carroll said this type of learning could change the landscape of how Auburn students learn.
“We wanted to reach out to the colleges and schools and see if they were able to rethink their classroom strategies and to see if they could utilize more problem-based and engaged learning,” Carroll said.
The University is now going through the selection process for a designer and a construction manager by interviewing potential firms.
“We are excited to start the next phase of work,” Carroll said. “We look forward to get our designers and our construction managers on board and make this project a reality for Auburn.”
A date has not been set for demolition, but the classrooms are planned to be ready for use by fall 2018.
“This is something that students can really benefit from,” King said. “It will bring great things to this university.”
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