By Brian Bohl

Emily Lowe Hall, home to the University’s drama and dance department, is undergoing a $2.5 million renovation that is expected to be completed in late May.

As part of the project, the 32,000 square-foot building will contain two dance floors, 15 faculty offices, a costume storage area and an upgraded electrical service that includes a new lighting studio. The project marks the first large-scale overhaul since the building opened in 1954.

New floors, windows and ceilings are being installed, with construction to be finished by next month, said Joseph Barkwill, the University’s vice president for facilities and operations. The project commenced in the fall and will be operational by the time summer classes begin.

Lowe Hall will feature one full-sized wood dance floor. It also will include another surface that can serve as a rehearsal floor and a class room simultaneously. The basement includes a work station for creating and storing costumes and props for student productions.

“The Lowe renovation is part two of a three year transition for us,” said Jean Dobie Giebel, chairwoman of the drama and dance department. “Next year we will move into Lowe and our new studios, as well as renovated classrooms outfitted with technology for our production program. Our costume area will be expanded to include a craft room for building specialized props, and a dye vat for costumes.”

While the project is ongoing, Giebel said a temporary studio was built in Calkins. She added that some faculty members are temporarily displaced until they can move into a centralized area after the multimillion dollar fix-up to Lowe.

“All of these improvements support all our students in their production and performance work,” she said. “We’ll also have a fully equipped light lab and sound lab and a renovated design studio. The dance program will gain its own kinesiology lab, and the large center dance studio will also be equipped to double as a small recital hall.”

James Kolb, a drama professor, said the new studios will be larger than the current Calkins facilities. There are currently around 200 drama majors in addition to 50 students taking it as a minor, according to the department’s Web site. As a growing major, Kolb said the new resources are needed to keep up with demand.

“The department has more than doubled in size over the past seven years, and these new facilities will help improve the department’s teaching effectiveness in many ways, especially by providing new labs and classrooms that will accommodate larger class sizes,” he said.

Barkwill said major projects are difficult to complete during the fall and spring semesters because classes are in session, but said temporarily decommissioning Lowe Hall for two semesters was the fastest way to complete the project.

“We try to accommodate as we can,” Barkwill said. “We had to relocate some classes, but that was the best and fastest way of redoing the whole building in one shot.”

Lowe’s renovation is being completed by the Plant Department instead of outside contractors. Barkwill said having the project directly under University supervision saves 20 to 25 percent on the total cost compared to hiring freelancers, and allows the school to exercise total control in monitoring progress.

“The University reaps a number of benefits. One is cost,” Barkwill said. “What we also gain is more attention and detail and pride in the work. Not only are we doing the work, but we’ll know how to maintain it in the future. It also builds in a sense of pride.”

As for the future of the drama and dance majors, Kolb said the increased space will allow the department to offer more chances for students to gain potentially valuable experience in their field.

“New spaces include…dedicated rooms for a sound lab and a light lab (both are currently taught out of faculty offices), an enlarged costume shop to support the more efficient construction of costumes for six plays and two dance concerts each year,” he said. “The building will also locate nearly all of the drama and dance faculty in one single building, making them more easily accessible to students.”

Located between Dempster and Memorial Halls, Lowe is one of many building projects on campus. The school started retooling the University Club in the winter, and Barkwill said Breslin will undergo a modernization next year.