Revamped Avery Hall to be dedicated Thursday

The rededication of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's renovated Avery Hall will be at 3 p.m. Sept. 30 in the building's Room 115.

Avery Hall is the new home of the Mathematics Department and the Computer Science and Engineering Department. The City Campus component of the Statistics Department also has quarters in the building.

Speakers at the dedication will include Chancellor Harvey Perlman; John Meakin, chair of the Mathematics Department; Rich Sincovec, chair of the Computer Science and Engineering Department; Joan Giesecke, dean of University Libraries; and Nebraska State Sen. Roger Wehrbein. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. and an open house will follow.

The completely remodeled structure contains classrooms and faculty and graduate student offices, and includes forward-looking features such as wireless computer networking, student-friendly spaces for mentoring and collaboration, and innovative multimedia configurations.

The renovation cost nearly $11 million and was paid for by LB 1100. The project design began in winter 2001 and construction began in fall of 2002. The building formerly housed the College of Journalism and Mass Communications and the departments of Chemical Engineering and Geography.

Despite the new wrinkles, the past hasn't been forgotten. Project manager and architect Alan Wedige, with UNL Facilities Management and Planning, saw that an effort was made to retain design elements, such as wood tones and windows, from the building's former incarnation.

In renovating Avery, Wedige and primary contractor Kingery Construction worked with a building that had two parts: an original structure dating from 1916 and an addition from the early 1940s. Some of the original brickwork from 1916 has been preserved in its distressed state as a nod to the past.

A major change in Avery resulted in the opening up and uncovering of windows, bringing much more light into the spaces than was available previously. Brick and other obstructions have been removed in some areas. The top halves of windows on the east side of the building, originally blacked out in an energy-saving effort, have been uncovered, and the new windows are actually more fuel-efficient than the blacked-out versions.

New technology has been implemented, with wireless networking throughout the building. Multimedia presentations can be piped from a central location to lecture halls containing a projector, eliminating the need for carrying computers and other hardware to each site. Seminar spaces are wired to accommodate flat-panel screens should they be installed in the future.

Research spaces are designed with open, central areas for team collaboration and lecture halls redesigned with some fixed seating and flexible seating areas near the front.

Labs, the library, and two computer server rooms are in the basement, restricted by key-card access. There is a new entrance and elevator for people who need special accommodations.

The framework of the front facade has been maintained. Landscaping has been removed from the area, uncovering the 1916 cornerstone, and a new landscaping design is pending.

CONTACT: Annette Wetzel, University Communications, (402) 472-8524