As thousands of students left Tufts last May, eager to begin their summer vacations, they were replaced by throngs of scaffolds, cranes, and construction workers that moved onto the Hill in their stead. These temporary fixtures took up residence at Tufts with one goal in mind: to complete a host of renovation projects before the students returned in the fall.
The biggest project by far was the 28,000-square-foot psychology building, which was officially occupied by the psychology department in August. The department is finally united under one roof after spending years divided between Bacon and Paige halls. The facility contains state-of-the-art labs, improved offices, and classrooms.
"It's definitely about time that psychology - one of the most popular majors here - has moved out of a temporary trailer to a real building," senior psychology major Amy Gelender said. "I thought the new building was really nice when I walked around."
While the new building is Tufts' most prominent addition, many other buildings and classrooms have also been renovated. Some classrooms got much-needed facelifts and new technology. Braker 001 was gutted and now features auditorium-style seating and new audiovisual equipment. New seating was installed and the projection booth enlarged in Barnum 008. The room is a popular site for large lecture classes and home to Film Series. Eaton Hall classrooms were also wired for new technology, with video conferencing capabilities installed in room 208.
"We wanted to update the classroom for modern teaching," said Vice President of Operations John Roberto.
Operations also focused on improving the facades of buildings around campus. Workers are near completing the roof and stone masonry work at Pearson. The building was long-overdue for work, as it has not been renovated since its construction in 1921.
"It's an exterior envelope project," explained Deferred Maintenance Program Manager Rudi Pizzi. "That means we're restoring the old side of the building... it's for the most part done, there's still some work we need to do." But Pearson won't only have an attractive exterior. The Chemistry Department will schedule interior renovations to the labs once the exterior construction is completed.
Thanks to residence hall projects, many students will live and sleep better this year. The fences around Latin Way were finally torn down as the second phase of a two-year renovation to the dorm. More singles will be available in the newly renovated towers to accommodate the increasing demand for housing.
Carmichael, Haskell, and Wren halls all got new sprinklers, smoke detectors, and other life safety equipment. The construction is part of a three-year plan to protect all residence halls with the fire equipment. Wood-framed houses were outfitted first, because they pose the greatest fire threat.
Roberto said the work had to be done during the summer because it required extensive access to residents' rooms.
"It's an invasive procedure... it's best to get it done while the dorms are unoccupied," Roberto said.
Unexpected problems with Wren's infrastructure delayed completion of the renovations to its roof and exterior.
"We needed to do more with Wren than we planned to do, which is why the roof was a little delayed," Pizzi said. He speculated that construction would be completed by the end of September.
The departure of the former construction director , Biagio DiTullio, further slowed this summer's construction projects. A major Boston-area construction firm recruited DiTullio, pulling him out of Tufts.
"We still managed to get done what we needed to get done, and to address planning needs," Roberto said.
Though the department is only nearing completion of this summer's projects, it is already planning projects for next summer, including breaking ground for a new dorm.
"Construction projects are planned well in advance," he said. "We lined up people for this summer seven months ago and we're now lining people up for next year."
