Gov. Dannel P. Malloy joined UConn President Susan Herbst and other dignitaries on Sept. 20 to dedicate the first of two new classroom buildings on UConn’s Storrs campus that will replace the aging and outdated Monteith and Arjona buildings. The new 70,000 square foot building – now known simply as the “Classroom Building” – opened at the beginning of the fall semester and includes two auditoriums that seat 200 and 400 people, as well as 17 classrooms of varying sizes that seat between 25 and 70 students each. It is located between the Student Union and the Center for Undergraduate Education (CUE), across from the Information Technologies Engineering Building.
“This building is the 101st UConn 2000 major project to have been started since the program began in 1995, and will be the first building on campus to be dedicated solely to classroom space,” said Herbst during the event, which was held right outside one of the largest new classrooms. “It features state-of-the-art classroom settings that provide a great environment for students to learn and faculty to teach.” In addition to the governor, State Reps. Pamela Sawyer of Bolton and Kevin Ryan of Montville gave remarks, as did CLAS Dean Jeremy Teitelbaum and undergraduate student Bryan Pfalzgraf. Many different departments from various schools and colleges will hold classes in the building, including the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Schools of Education and Engineering, and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
“Our students and faculty are thrilled with it,” said Teitelbaum. “The acoustics, the space, even the heating and cooling system have their ardent admirers, in just the first few weeks of classes. It’s a setting in which students and faculty can concentrate on the business of teaching and learning, and where they can take advantage of electronic technology that improves their classroom experience.” The building has numerous environmentally conscious and sustainable energy features, including: a green roof, efficient fixtures that will reduce water consumption by an estimated 48 percent, energy-efficient lighting, high-performance insulation, and abundant natural light to reduce heating and cooling needs. The building was constructed under the 21st Century UConn/UConn 2000 program, and its budget was approximately $42 million. The second building, which will be known as the Social Sciences and Humanities Building, is still under construction. The 130,000-square-foot structure is scheduled to be completed and opened during the second half of 2012.
