Add as a preferred source on Google

UC Davis Debuts Renovations to 85-Year-Old Walker Hall

  • By Matt Jones
  • 10/11/21

The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) in Davis, Calif., recently debuted a nearly total renovation of the 85-year-old Walker Hall. The two-story, north side of the facility will now serve as the campus’ Graduate Center, giving about 7,000 graduate and professional students and about 1,000 postdoctoral scholars a centralized hub for the first time in the university’s history. The back three wings of the facility have also been converted to general classroom space. The university has scheduled a grand reopening ceremony for Friday, April 8, 2022.

Walker Hall, which has been vacant since 2011, provided the ideal location for the Graduate Center. “My original motivation for proposing the center was as a space to enhance the sense of community among graduate students across campus,” said Professor Jeff Gibeling, who also served as the vice provost and dean of Graduate Studies until 2016. “Finding a place was a challenge from the beginning, especially because we had limited prospects for raising funds to build a new building.” Several other possibilities were explored before one university chancellor suggested Walker Hall, which was already scheduled for remodeling.

The Graduate Center houses amenities like mentoring and advising offices; financial and mental health services; meeting and conference rooms; a collaborative studio; a writing lounge; a graduate commons area; and a kitchen, lactation room and parent study lounge. The facility also plays home to the Postdoctoral Scholars Association, the Graduate Student Association and the GSA pantry, according to a press release.

The facility measures in at 35,805 square feet of renovated space, and it came with a price tag of about $33.4 million, according to the university’s Design and Construction Management. The university partnered with Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects for design and with Soltek Pacific for general contracting.

The project also included retrofitting spaces for seismic safety and accessibility purposes.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • textured paper collage shows a school building on fire as a fire truck sprays water into the flames

    Why a Fire Loss Is More than Flames

    We've all seen what fire damage can do to a property, but the types of damage building owners often encounter after a fire loss can exceed expectations. Having full awareness of the different forms of damage properties can sustain helps owners respond faster, reduce continued damage, and get back on the road to recovery in short order.

  • Texas District Finishes Construction on New Middle School, Admin Building

    The Westwood Independent School District recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Westwood Middle School and Administration Building in Palestine, Texas, according to a news release. The campus covers 106,000 square feet and has the capacity for 650 students in grades 6–8, and it will also play home to the district’s staff and administration.

  • Image credit: O

    Strategic Campus Assessment: Moving Beyond Reactive Maintenance in Educational Facilities

    While campuses may appear stable on the surface, building systems naturally evolve over time, and proactive assessment can identify developing issues before they become expensive emergencies. The question isn't whether aging educational facilities need attention. It's how institutions can transition from costly reactive maintenance to strategic asset management in a way that protects both budgets and communities.

  • California K–12 District Opens New Athletic Complex, Gym

    The San Mateo Union High School District (SMUHSD) in San Mateo, Calif., recently announced the completion of two new athletics facilities: a new gymnasium at Burlingame High School, and a new athletic training complex at San Mateo High School, according to a news release.

Digital Edition