Construction Progresses on Roux Center for the Environment at Bowdoin College

Bowdoin College's newest building—the Roux Center for the Environment—is gradually taking shape, on track to open next fall on the college's Brunswick, ME campus.

The Center, which is located at the corner of College St. and Harpswell Rd., is funded by a lead gift from David and Barbara Roux. When it is open, it will bring together faculty and students from across the College’s curriculum, fostering collaboration and creativity in the teaching and study of the environment.

Bowdoin Roux Center

Besides offices, classrooms, and labs, the 29,167 square-foot center will contain study spaces, a terrace, a green roof, and “The Lantern,” a glassed-in auditorium space at the front of the building. The building is designed to welcome all, to be a space not only for teaching and research but also for performances, community forums, social gatherings, and talks.

To date, Roux Center construction and design team—Warren Construction Group and Cambridge Seven Associates architects—have already erected steel columns and finished the elevator shaft.

The steel structure, along with corrugated metal decks, supports the concrete slab floors, which will be placed over the next couple of months. The concrete for the basement and first floor have already been placed. To work through the winter, there are heaters in the basement and the structure will be enclosed with tarps.

“The pretty stuff will start in late spring and early summer,” says Bowdoin Director of Capital Projects Don Borkowski, who is overseeing the project. “It’ll start to come together then.”

Featured

  • Fayetteville State University Opens New Residence Hall

    Fayetteville State University (FSU) in Fayetteville, N.C., recently completed construction on a new $50-million residence hall, according to a news release. The university partnered with KWK/Jenkins • Peer Architects on the design of Bronco Pride Hall.

  • Designing School Spaces for A++ Performance

    In recent years, the educational world has gained greater appreciation for the ways a space’s aesthetics, just like its acoustics, can positively impact educational outcomes. Consequently, engineering, designing, and constructing a school environment demands acoustics to be equally an art and a science, requiring architects and designers to see with their ears, while acousticians must hear with their eyes.

  • California School District Starts Construction on Public Safety Center

    The San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) recently announced that construction has begun on a new public safety center that will house the district’s safety and security programs. According to a news release, the James Ramos Center for Public Safety will measure in at 17,140 square feet and contain the district’s Police Department, Office of Emergency Management, and cadet program.

  • Inglewood Unified School District Breaks Ground on New High School

    The Inglewood Unified School District in Inglewood, Calif., recently broke ground on a new campus for Inglewood High School, according to a news release. The project has a budget of about $240 million, funding coming through bond proceeds from Measure I.