Sounds of drills pounding into cement and flying dust are just a few of the by-products of the numerous construction projects encountered by students walking around campus.
Aside from the ongoing projects outside Pauley Pavilion and on the Hill, neither of which will be completed until 2013, a slew of other projects are also in progress, including the construction of the Court of Sciences Student Center and continued renovations to the Young Research Library.
Young Research Library
Renovation of the first level of YRL began in January 2010 and is slated to be completed spring 2011, said Susan Parker, deputy university librarian and chief financial officer of the UCLA library.
The project, which will cost $4 million, is mostly funded by money specifically endowed to the library by an anonymous donor in 1998. It will add a cafe, research commons and large study rooms for both group and individual space, Parker said.
But the main goal of the renovation is to make the library more accomodating of student lifestyles.
“The North Campus Student Center closes at 7 (p.m.),” Parker said, explaining the need for a cafe in the library. “On those late nights studying, students probably want some coffee.”
The cafe, which will be operated by UCLA Restaurants, will stay open for the duration of the library hours.
Making the library more modern was a main goal for the renovation.
“The building, pre-construction, was very similar to when it was built in the ’60s,” said Eric Heggen, construction manager for the project. “(The renovations) will be a vast improvement.”
These renovations will facilitate both traditional research and new visual collaborations, Heggen added.
In addition to the cafe, the project will add new research commons for group study space, which did not previously exist in YRL. These commons are to be outfitted with new technology aimed at fostering group collaboration. Multiple users will be able to hook their laptops into the same display screen, giving students and faculty the ability to share their work.
“We wanted to create a sleeker and more comfortable research space that looks professional,” Parker said.
Derek Liu, a third-year electrical engineering student, said the library will provide a better and nicer place to study, which is needed on campus. All the other libraries, especially Powell, tend to get crowded, he said.
Philip Okita, a second-year political science student, who uses the library between classes and has seen the finished construction on the library’s lower level, said he is excited to spend time relaxing in the planned cafe and for the increase in available computers.
“The A-level looks very modern,” he said. “I can’t wait to see the results of the new renovations.”
Court of Sciences Student Center
On the other side of campus, construction to the Court of Sciences Student Center is underway and is scheduled to be completed in summer 2011, said Cindy Bolton, Associated Students UCLA food service director.
Formerly known as the South Campus Student Center, the $16.5 million project will replace the Bombshelter and provide better food preparation space, higher seating capacity and more meeting space, said ASUCLA Executive Director Bob Williams.
The Bombshelter closed its doors in December and was demolished to make way for the renovated center, which will have a small store and many food options, including frozen yogurt, chain restaurants like Yoshinoya and Subway, and two options operated by UCLA Restaurants, Bolton said. Similar to the plans for YRL, the new student center will provide some study space where students can collaborate.
Lui said he is looking forward to the completion of the Court of Sciences Student Center.
“It will be nice having another place to go between classes,” he said. “The building will also be nicer than the old Bombshelter, so it will make the campus look better.”
Many students are also anticipating the variety of food options that will be available.
“On-campus food options are limited, and many places, especially Ackerman (Union), get tiring after a while, so it will be nice to have another place to eat,” Okita said.