Campus upgrades are underway

Thursday, June 19, 2014
Hamilton Smith renovation

FUTURE PERFECT: A complete renovation of iconic Hamilton Smith Hall will begin after the end of the 2014-15 academic year. The front section of the building will be restored to its former glory and new additions to the back will bring more classroom seats, informal meeting areas, hi-tech classrooms, and improved office space.

Beginning this summer, the university will undertake much-needed renovations on a trio of campus landmarks—Hamilton Smith Hall, Holloway Commons, and the outdoor pool—as part of a larger project to bring all UNH facilities up to standards that meet or exceed the needs of the campus and community. Work will begin this summer with the outdoor pool, which was built in 1937 as part of the Roosevelt Works Progress Administration and closed in 2013. The new pool, which is anticipated to open in time for the university's summer 2015 programs, will incorporate many of the most popular features of the original, including a zero-depth entry section and lap lanes, and offer such community-friendly enhancements as expanded social areas and a bathhouse.

Renovations of iconic Hamilton Smith Hall, home to the English department and one of the campus's most heavily used classroom buildings, will begin in 2015. The long-overdue project will include a 12 percent increase in the number of classroom seats, renovation of classroom and office spaces, and the addition of two technology-enabled labs. Construction will be completed in the summer of 2017.

The newest of the university's three dining halls, Holloway Commons is also the most popular. An expansion that will increase seating capacity by 365, to address the current shortage of seats and to accommodate future enrollment increases, is slated to begin in May 2015 and should be complete when students return in late August.

Originally published by:

UNH Magazine, Spring 2014 Issue