Life sciences building construction on schedule

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Since construction commenced on the new life sciences building in Winter 2012, it’s typical to hear the sounds of construction coming from the south part of campus.

The new life science building is making significant progress.
Construction of the Life Science Building is expected to be complete by the end of 2014. (Photo by Sarah Strobel Hill)

According to Todd Hollingshead, media relations manager for BYU, the building is on schedule, making excellent progress and will be completed and occupied by the end of 2014. The building will have 265,000 square feet of teaching and research space for the College of Life Sciences.

The building will include 70 academic offices, and all faculty located in the John A. Widtsoe and Benjamin Cluff buildings will be housed in the new facility. The building will include 16 teaching labs, three auditoriums and four conference rooms.

“The new life sciences building will serve as a gateway for the south end of BYU campus,” Hollingshead said. “It will be a welcoming and inviting building and will include a center corridor that will lead students directly up the hill to campus. It will also provide the most up-to-date resources and lab space for students and faculty to study the life sciences.”

The building’s parking structure will provide 250 parking spaces. The decision of who can park there is yet to be determined.

Katy Hurst, a doctoral candidate studying physiology and developmental biology, is excited to use the new facility once it’s complete.

“I know that the building is supposed to have a common area, which will make a nice place to go and study,” Hurst said. “I’ve also heard that the building’s labs will be better equipped and larger, allowing for students to move around easily while in lab.”

To make room for the life sciences building, the Benjamin Cluff Jr. Building was demolished, and according to Hollingshead the John A. Widtsoe Building is expected to be demolished after the completion of the new building.

Jeffrey Edwards, a neuroscience and physiology professor, has been teaching for six years and will have an office in the life sciences building upon completion.

“The moving part will not be fun, but I think moving over to the new building will be great,” Edwards said. “I know that the Widtsoe is getting old and doesn’t meet safety regulations.”

Hollingshead feels that the building will be a great asset to the campus.

“The building will be a great benefit to students across campus but will be central to students majoring within the departments of the College of Life Sciences,” Hollingshead said. “Some of those departments include Biology, Plant & Wildlife Sciences, Microbiology & Molecular Biology and Physiology & Developmental Biology.”

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