Background
Students today look for good public spaces where they can hang out…
~ President
Richard Schneider
The size of the University’s residential student population has more than doubled since 1955, when Harmon Hall — the focal point for student life and activities — was built.
In that time expectations of campus facilities have changed as well. “Students today look for good public spaces where they can hang out,” said University President Richard Schneider, “and we've had an inadequate space for decades.”
The challenge was to incorporate the needs of a growing student population into a facility that fit into the architectural landscape of the campus. There was also the “Wow!” factor to contend with. “We wanted the students’ first reaction to be, ‘Wow! Norwich does it right,’” said Dave Magida, the University’s chief administrative officer.
We wanted the students’ first reaction to be, ‘Wow! Norwich does it right.’
~ Chief Administrative Officer
Dave Magida
So in the fall of 2004, a Boston–based, nationally known architectural firm, Perry Dean Rogers Partners, was selected to work on conceptual designs for renovations and additions to Harmon Hall.
Once studies were completed and input from the Norwich community was collected and considered, construction began May 15, 2006, the day after Commencement ceremonies. In the fifteen months that followed, roughly 46,800 square feet of the building was renovated, 10,250 square feet was demolished, and about 24,500 square feet was added to create the three-level structure.
