摄影:Caitlin Cunningham
本周的大门打开了 毕顿街245号, a 150,000-square-foot facility of office and 实验室 space, 教室, 制造商的空间, 公共区域, and the home of the University's 席勒电子游戏正规平台所 for Integrated Science and Society.
Constructed during the past two years, the $150-million building is the largest single investment in the sciences at 电子游戏软件, and the focal point of a $300 million University initiative in the sciences.
A 实验室 in the new Integrated Science Building at 毕顿街245号.
“The opening of 毕顿街245号 is the culmination of years of hard work and collaboration among faculty and staff across the University,” said Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley. “The beautiful new facility's emergence over the past two years has been a point of light and a reminder of the promise of better days. 245 Beacon will quickly emerge as a hub for student and faculty engagement at the intersections of 电子游戏软件's varied strengths in the disciplines and the frontiers of science and technology. Its arrival on campus is cause for celebration.”
Features include office and 实验室 space for researchers and engineering faculty, and teaching laboratories that include computer science robotics. 除了, there are 制造商的空间 for prototyping research, 洁净室, and collaborative space for faculty and students. The new facility also houses BC’s Computer Science Department, 工程部门, 和谢伊中心, 还有教室.
建筑, which was designed by the architectural firm Payette and constructed by Suffolk, will ultimately house as many as 22 principal investigators working in areas of health, 能源, 还有环境.
“245 Beacon will quickly emerge as a hub for student and faculty engagement at the intersections of 电子游戏软件's varied strengths in the disciplines and the frontiers of science and technology. Its arrival on campus is cause for celebration.”
“I am excited for our students and our faculty,” said Vice Provost for 电子游戏正规平台 and Academic Planning Thomas Chiles, who has spent nearly a decade helping to lead the planning for the integrated science initiative. “有一个水平的期望, but also genuine excitement that there is something really new here and something that is going to make an impact, both on campus and in the world. You can sense that when you walk in the building.”
A central component to the building is the 席勒电子游戏正规平台所, which supports faculty from across disciplines in developing knowledge and solutions to crucial global problems in the areas of health, 能源, 还有环境. The institute is named in honor of BC Trustee Phil Schiller ’82
and his wife, Kim Gassett-Schiller, through a multi-year lead gift totaling $25 million.
"The Institute's state-of-the-art 实验室 and convening spaces are catalyzing ground-breaking research to fight the effects of climate change, spur the transition to renewable 能源 sources, 保护公众健康," said 席勒电子游戏正规平台所 Executive Director Laura Steinberg.
Engineering Chair Glenn Gaudette at work in the new facility.
2021年秋季，BC迎来了 the first class of students in the Human-Centered Engineering major, which integrates BC’s liberal arts core curriculum with foundations of engineering, design and systems thinking applications, and service-focused capstone experiences.
The first day of classes in the new building was exciting, said Professor Glenn Gaudette, the John W. Kozarich ’71 Chair of the Department of Engineering. "You could see the excitement on the students’ faces, even as they wore masks.
"The new building provides something for everyone, from the café on the first floor, to the meeting spaces throughout the building, to the 教室 and teaching lab and finally, 电子游戏正规平台实验室,他说. "The openness of the building helps entice collaborations, especially from different academic departments. Our undergraduate teaching labs provide students with an environment for innovative thinking and analytical testing. Our research labs are enabling new discoveries and the development of solutions to problems facing humanity."
Chiles said the building—and the programming and personnel that enliven it—reflect a collaborative, campus-wide approach to planning aligned with the University’s strategic goals.
“This was a campus-wide University effort in terms of how we programmed and laid out these spaces,Chiles说. “This building will be a center not only for student learning, 但是对于教员合作, 奖学金, and research from all disciplines. We want all disciplines brought together to tackle the tough problems we face as a society.”
Ed Hayward | University Communications | January 2022
两年，16万张照片. Watch a time-lapse video of the building's construction by Ravi Jain of University Communications.