Though its absence is less noticeable due to the fall term’s adaptations to COVID-19, the English department is still missing Laird Hall. Administrators, professors, and students alike have cleared from Laird, which is currently undergoing a set of renovations as part of a five-year, campus-wide Utilities Master Plan. The building is scheduled to undergo renovation until June 2021, as long as the pandemic does not affect workers or material suppliers working on this project.
“Building closed due to renovation”
When not holding Zoom class from their homes or face-to-face in new classroom spaces outside or in the Weitz, professors can be spotted walking to and from their offices in the CMC and the old Music Hall. Professor Greg Hewett, who can currently be found in glassed-in section of offices in the entryway of the Computing and Mathematics Center next-door to Laird, calls his temporary office the “fishbowl.”
Although the recent cold weather has pushed studying students into the Libe or their rooms, much of Second Laird’s usual activity has been held out of doors. We are all really appreciating all the reading space on the Bald Spot, but my professors, too, have taken advantage of outdoor space by holding outdoor office hours by the Boliou patio and during readings of Shakespeare plays held on the Hill of Three Oaks.
Throughout all of this, a series of renovations is taking place to convert the steam heating system to a hot water heating system as part of a campus-wide update. Facilities is also using this period of renovations to make the building more accessible by installing an elevator and all-gender restrooms on the first floor – a huge step for the building and all of the offices that call it home. Workers will also be installing a new ventilation and central air conditioning system (getting rid of the older window air conditioning units). Fingers tied, this means no more clanky heating systems or cold winter drafts in rooms 211 and 212! Additionally, sprinklers will be added and the electrical system will be updated.
In talking to the Director of Facilities, Steven Spehn, I additionally asked how our familiar Laird will look different after these renovations. While the third floor and two classrooms on the second floor will no longer be in use, the addition of first-floor bathrooms and more classroom space in the basement is exciting. New paint, carpet, and ceilings should make Laird feel more fresh, too.
