The N. Eldon Tanner building boasts new space for Marriott School students to study and work thanks to a large construction project finished this summer.

The 76,000 square foot addition opened its doors to students and faculty as classes began this semester.

Richard Dalebout, who chaired the committee for the new building, said the new addition is especially for students rather than faculty.

"Most of it is student space," Dalebout said.

Students are already taking advantage of the facility's expanded study areas.

"It's nice having somewhere here to study instead of going to the library," said Jace Garret, an accounting major from Highland.

The 39 group study areas are especially useful because of the frequent group assignments that business majors work on, said Spencer Holloway, a junior studying accounting. Most of the group study rooms resemble study rooms in the library. However, some are more like professional conference rooms, with long conference tables and large flat panel displays for groups to view spreadsheets and presentations together.

"It definitely shortens the time for assignments that we do here because we can go straight to classes after a group project," Holloway said.

The addition also has 10 classrooms with new features for business students.

Curtis LeBaron, professor of organizational leadership and strategy, said he has noticed students compete for electrical outlets to plug in their laptops. The new classrooms have enough outlets for nearly every student to plug in a personal computer.

LeBaron said new lighting features enhance the effectiveness of presentations.

"The lighting doesn't interfere with students' ability to take notes while I'm showing a video," LeBaron said.

The Richards Building also received an addition. The new wing on the north end of the building will host the music dance theater major and several related organizations, including the Young Ambassadors and the Living Legends.

The wing was built to replace facilities previously found in the Knight Mangum Building, a building on the southeast corner of campus that was demolished over the summer due to problems associated with its age.

John Shurtleff, technical director of Young Ambassadors and Living Legends, oversaw planning for the new wing. He said the new building is a big improvement from the swamp-cooled, aging Knight Mangum Building.

"We're very grateful for our new home, especially for the air conditioning," Shurtleff said.

In addition to replacing prop and costume shops and a recording studio that were present in the old building, the new wing has features that were not available before.

Bailee Brinkerhoff, a music dance theatre major from Mesa, Ariz., said she used to have to go to the HFAC for vocal practice to take advantage of the practice rooms there.

"It's a huge advantage to have practice rooms in our own building and for our own major," Brinkerhoff said.

The new wing replaces two dance studios that were previously in the KMB with two larger studios, which are shared by music dance theatre and dance students. However, students really gain two additional practice spaces, since each studio can be divided by soundproof dividers, Shurtleff said.

The Dance Department also gains 10 new administrative offices in the new wing.

Construction on the ramp south of campus began early in the semester to install a rain drainage system. The construction will limit use of the ramp until it is finished.

The work must happen now because the current canal is susceptible to overflowing and flooding, said university spokesman Todd Hollingshead.

He said construction projects that normally affect student transportation occur during summer, but conditions made that impossible with the current project.

"This is a complex project that involves many entities and organizations and deals with a lot of infrastructure," Hollingshead said. "Because of that, the planning process, including governmental approvals, took longer than expected."

The ramp project is scheduled to be finished by the end of the month.



Copyright Brigham Young University 17 Sep 2008