As students returned to campus at the beginning of fall last year, there were some noticeable changes - loud beeping and machinery noises replaced alarm clocks, formerly popular pathways were blocked off by construction barriers, and portable bathrooms were lined up on the Residential Quad and Lower Campus Road.
This year, however, returning students have noticed more pleasant changes. After months of construction, Tufts has opened its sparkling new upperclassmen dorm, Sophia Gordon Hall, and has reached considerable progress on the new music building, the renovations to Fletcher Hall and the 137-car garage behind South Hall.
"The campus looks so much better this year" now that much of the construction is finished, said sophomore Laura Patterson, whose South Hall window overlooked the parking garage construction last year. "The end results really did justify the means."
The "crown jewel" of Tufts' buildings
The 62,000-square-foot Sophia Gordon Hall expands housing options for upperclassman and serves as a model for eco-friendly buildings.
The building houses 126 upperclassmen in 30 suites - each with four to six single rooms, a kitchen, a living area and a bathroom.
It also contains a 150-seat multi-purpose room that includes a projector for showing movies. It will also be home to campus events, lectures, and even some classes.
Sophia Gordon is funded by a 10 million dollar grant from Tufts trustee Bernard Gordon, a technology pioneer who worked on the development of the world's first commercial digital computer and is now president of a Massachusetts-based technology company.
The new hall has become the envy of some students living elsewhere on campus.
"Sophia Gordon [Hall] is so aesthetically pleasing," Patterson said. "It's kind of disappointing that I'll never have a chance to live there, since my housing lottery number is so low."
Sophomore Renee Birenbaum felt similarly. "I went into Sophia yesterday, and it was ridiculously nice," she said. "I couldn't be more thrilled as someone who lives downhill, and I'd love to live there."
"Stepping up" the quality of campus life
For those who snagged spots in the new dorm, Sophia Gordon Hall is about more than just quality of housing-it's about quality of life.
"I actually look forward to going to my room at the end of the day now," senior Nehemiah Green, who lives in Sophia-Gordon, said. "Sophia Gordon should give all seniors something to look forward to and anticipate."
Green also said that he expects the dorm to become a hotspot for campus social life.
"Because the dorm is in a central part of the campus, I think more parties will happen there," he said. "I know as a senior week volunteer, I observed many seniors would just go home their separate ways after the events. I think this year it will be different becasue we have central place, a nice one at that, to go to."
Sophia-Gordon resident and senior Anitya Nochur also sees the new dorm as a central campus life hub.
"Sophia Gordon is a great bridge between uphill and downhill, and by bringing lots seniors back on to campus it will make campus life a lot more dynamic and exciting," Nochur said. "I'm excited to see how it affects the social scene here-there's so much potential to really step things up."
Showcasing environmental consciousness
In addition to its internal features, Sophia Gordon Hall was also built with a number of environmentally-friendly features aimed at efficient energy use. Built in accordance with Leadership in Energy Efficient Design (LEED) energy standards, the building is expected to use 30 percent less energy and water than a conventional building would. A press release from Associate Director of Public Relations Kim Thurler, detailed the environmental innovations of the building.
Tufts Environment Consciousness Outreach (ECO), said the environmental aspects of Sophia Gordon are a step forward.
"Given increasing concerns over energy consumption and climate change, 'green' building really is the wave of the future," Nochur said. "I'm happy to see Tufts implement these kinds of measures in building Sophia Gordon, and I would love to see them do so in future construction projects."
Among those measures are a rooftop solar thermal collector and photovoltaic system, which will provide supplemental energy for the building's electrical and heating systems. The system was funded by the Massachusetts Energy Trust.
In addition, the bathrooms are outfitted with motion sensors for the lights and dual-flush toilets. The building itself was made of 85 percent recycled steel and has flooring and carpeting made from recycling or renewable materials.
Louvered glass on the building's corners will reflect sunlight into the walls during the winter and away from the walls during the summer, lowering the amount of energy needed for heating and cooling. Generously placed windows will reduce the need for electrical lighting.
Nochur said that Sophia Gordon could serve as a shining example to Tufts students and to the world as a whole.
"I'd love to see Sophia Gordon Hall spread broader consciousness about environmental issues through the student body here," Nochur said. "I think the best message Sophia Gordon could send is that we all need to think of ways to live more sustainably [sic] and minimize waste as much as possible."
Nochur said that all of Sophia Gordon Hall, from its sparkling design to its comfortable rooms and spacious common areas, demonstrated one definite thing: "It is possible to reduce your resource consumption, and to still enjoy a high quality of life," he said.
New music hall to open in spring
Across the street from Sophia Gordon Hall, the new music building stands in stark contrast as an uncompleted shell. Currently empty and unused, the building will soon become a state-of-the-art facility for the now-shabbily-outfitted music department.
The new building will feature a 300-seat performance-quality recital hall, several classrooms, a music library, faculty offices and practice space. It is set to be opened for use in the spring semester, starting in January, with parts of the structure becoming useable as early as late September.
Green, who plays saxophone for the Tufts band Melodesiac, said the new building will be a "huge asset" for musicians at Tufts.
"Personally, I look forward to the new practice rooms. As a band member, it has been difficult finding places to practice around campus," he said. "Most of the time it has been in other people's basements, so I look forward to being able to work in a place that's well-lit."
Birenbaum, who is a Tufts Chamber Singer, said that the old facilities are not adequate.
"A new building at this point is pretty necessary," Birenbaum said. "Our practice rooms were embarrassing, and the quality of the pianos in those holes-in-the-wall was laughable. Half the keys didn't work, and they were woefully flat."
Birenbaum recounted frustrating practices in Alumnae Hall, which is used for a variety of musical and non-musical events on campus. She said the lack of space in the old building led to constant conflicts and headaches when trying to schedule and complete rehearsals.
"I think there is a huge population at Tufts involved in music and performance arts, so this is a big win for them," Birenbaum said. "Hopefully more students will try out for our musical ensembles now that the music and drama departments aren't living out of a cardboard box."
Green said he had a similar experience with Tufts facilities, and is glad the new building is finally near completion.
"When I came in as a freshman, I was kind of discouraged when I saw Tufts facilities; so much so that sometimes I left campus to meet up with people at the Berklee School of music just to play," he said. "I think the new building will open more opportunities for the musicians to get involved with fellow musicians on campus."
More improvements to come
Construction continues on the Cabot Intercultural Center, turning Packard Avenue into a one-way street uphill. The interior renovations, consisting of improved offices and classrooms as well as better accessibility, are complete. Exterior work on the building's fa?§ade is scheduled for a December completion, Vice President of Operations John Roberto told the Daily in May.
Although not all construction is complete, the results are increasingly apparent. With the Lower Campus Road parking garage opening by mid-September and the residents of Sophia Gordon Hall moved in, students are optimistic.
"Basically, anything I felt was lacking on campus as a freshman has been fixed-not enough parking, crappy music building, housing shortage: all rectified," Birenbaum said. "It's exciting."
