Cornell College

West Science Hall Renovation

Open collaboration seating in the Science Hall's circulation.
View from corridor into the Engineering maker space through an interior window.
Students attending class in an active learning environment, complemented by mobile furniture, whiteboards, and large monitors.
Cornell College students working at various seating options in a study lounge.
Students in a biology lab.
Exterior elevation of West Science Hall.
Students attending lecture in a technology-enriched classroom.
Students attending a lecture in a remodeled classroom.

Cornell College

West Science Hall Renovation

Mount Vernon, Iowa

After the successful completion of Russell Science Center, Cornell College continued its mission to expand and develop a state-of-the-art STEM program with the comprehensive renovation of the existing West Science Hall. Relocating the Biology and Chemistry departments from West to Russell allowed the renovation to double the footprint for the new Engineering program and other non-lab STEM curriculum such as the Physics and Engineering, Math and Statistics, and Computer Science departments.

Interior finishes updates reinvigorate West to form a more transparent and collaborative learning environment. Classrooms and research spaces boast active learning technology and seating upgrades, while student lounges provide choices for where to study and access to large amounts of daylight via the addition of exterior windows. Activities in the new Engineering maker/fabrication space and attached machine shop can be glimpsed through an interior corridor window. The mechanical and electrical systems updates provide the additional lab space and infrastructure needed to support project- and team-based work in the Engineering program.

Size: 46,000 sq. ft.

Components: New Engineering maker/fabrication space and attached machine shop; 11 classrooms; lecture hall; research spaces; computer labs; Physics laboratories

Completion: 2019

News & Views: Converting an Existing Campus Building into a Modern Science Lab

Stephanie McDaniel
Dan Hottinger
Craig Peterson
Ken Frey (retired)
Allen Hoglund (retired)
Hanna Kuehl
Brian Lapham
Joe Mueller (retired)