College revises design, plans phased approach for Science Center

When Roanoke College first began to envision and fundraise for a new Science Center in 2011, the world was a different place: Most people had never heard of Instagram, Venmo or Uber; the iPad and Oculus hadn’t been invented; and only epidemiologists and doomsayers lost sleep over the specter of a pandemic.

Since then, the technology for instruction and research has changed dramatically, as have the skills students need to succeed in jobs of the future. In addition, the country has seen the highest increase in construction costs in 50 years, with inflation altering the projected cost of the original Science Center design from $50 million in 2012 to $100 million today. 

But Roanoke’s leaders don’t want to continue to chase inflation; they want to act now and build a state-of-the-art facility that will provide students with transformative education in the sciences and help grow enrollment. 

“Having a new president come in with experience and background in working on capital projects has allowed us to view this project through a new lens,” said Kim Blair ’93, vice president for advancement. “We want to move with urgency and actualize the vision to transform science education at Roanoke.” 

To that end, the College is working on a new design for the Science Center that is efficient, flexible and sustainable. The Charlottesville, Virginia-based architectural firm VMDO, which designed the Cregger Center, has been hired to re-envision an educational facility that will accommodate more technology in a smaller footprint and foster opportunities for greater interdisciplinary collaboration, innovation and accessibility. 

“We do quality science here with undergraduate students in these current buildings, where we are working with good equipment and publishing our findings,” said Biology Professor Chris Lassiter, “but with a new Science Center, we’ll have facilities that reflect the quality of the science that is going on and that help to engage all students, as well as build communities among the sciences.”

The College’s updated Science Center initiative will hold costs to $60 million and break construction into phases, beginning with a $30 million new facility that will stand where Massengill Hall now exists, then progressing to renovations of Trexler Hall and Life Sciences. The goal is to break ground in early 2024.

“Adapting our initial plan for the Science Center ensures that we uphold our promise to bring to life a long-held vision for scientific transformation at Roanoke,” said President Frank Shushok Jr. “We remain committed to building a remarkable facility that inspires all of us. I’m confident that our adapted approach for the Science Center will take Roanoke College to new heights.”

To read more about the Science Center or make a contribution to the project, visit roanoke.edu/science_center.