Building ties

The large chunk of concrete that fell from the ceiling of Dwire Hall at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs proved to be worth millions of dollars.

It was graduation time in 2004, and no one was in the building, but the incident led the dean of the business college, Venkat Reddy, to ask for money from the state legislature for the 35-year-old building.

“We had no choice,” he said. “We had to rebuild it.”

Dwire Hall, which many students described as “a concrete prison,” closed in June 2006 for renovation. Reddy received $5 million from an emergency fund for the reconstruction of Dwire Hall. The school also had to raise $5 million.

When it reopens Thursday, Dwire Hall will house the Col- lege of Business, the Graduate School of Public Affairs and the economics and languages departments.

To capitalize on funding, the infrastructure of the old building was used as a skeleton for the new building. Though almost everything is new, office furniture for faculty members was bought used from Adelphia.

“We want to show that our money was well used,” Reddy said.

Business school officials had some specific goals for the renovation. They wanted to eschew certain architectural aspects of the old building. It was covered with concrete, allowing little sunlight into the interior. The building’s entrance is now covered with a three-story glass atrium.

“We wanted to maximize on the million-dollar view,” said Reddy, referring to Pikes Peak. “The view is absolutely beautiful.”

Abundant windows help create a lively, studious atmosphere, he said.

“This new building is a living, learning environment,” Reddy said. “It’s a good-feel building, and we want students to hang out here.”

The building will feature sofas and chairs, wireless Internet connections, study and meeting rooms and a small coffee shop with an outdoor terrace.

Dwire Hall will also have a second-floor study balcony and new computers in the computer lab. Classrooms feature tiered seating so students can easily work in groups.

THURSDAY RECEPTION

Alumni are invited to a Dwire Hall reopening reception 5-7 p.m. Thursday. Alumni can RSVP to 213-2679 or cobalum@uccs .edu.