BOT discusses new computer science
building
Alumnus' donation will help fund two-square-block
structure
Katy Mull The
Daily Illini |
| James Stukel, president of the University,
and Robert Todd, associate vice president in administration
and human resources, analyze the model for the proposed Thomas
M. Siebel Center for Computer Science on Thursday morning at
the Board of Trustees meeting in the Illini Union Pine Lounge.
An excited Todd enthused, "It is going to be an excellent facility
that will ... be second to none in the country." |
Plans are underway for construction of
the Thomas M. Siebel Center for Computer Science and the National
Center for Super Computing Applications, a building that will encompass
two square blocks on the corner of Clark Street and Goodwin Avenue
by 2003.
"When we did the master plan for the Urbana campus, we knew that sometime
in the future we'd have two main buildings for computer sciences,"
said Robert Todd, associate vice president for administration and
human resources. "Now that we've got the Siebel gift, it's really
taking off."
Thomas Siebel, a developer of a major software company in California
and University alumnus, gave a significant amount to the funding of
the project. Other funds were raised by the University of Illinois
Foundation. Construction will begin next fall.
Bohlin Cywinski Jackson and LZT, two architectural firms, will be
teaming up to build the pair of buildings. John Jackson, an architect
representing Bohlin Cywinski Jackson gave a design presentation of
the Siebel Center for the Board of Trustees on Thursday morning.
The facility will supply 224,000 square feet of classrooms, lecture
halls, research space and laboratory space, Jackson said. "It will
be great."
Jackson presented the board with blueprints and an architectural model
to explain the upcoming construction. With ground breaking in the
fall of 2001, the specific developments of the building are still
being made.
The model showed a representation of the structure, but more specific
designs will be provided closer to the date of ground-breaking. The
buildings will probably take two years to build, with a price-tag
of about $75 million, Todd said.
The U-shaped model showed the building was made primarily of brick
and glass. Board members were given a chance to voice their opinions
on the model.
"I think this wall needs to go," Trustee William Englebrecht said
of the auditorium wall in the model. "When I'm sitting in (the courtyard)
I really don't want to be looking at an 18-foot high brick wall."
Both Jackson and Todd said they would take Englebrecht's comment into
consideration.
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