Excavation Running Behind in Construction of Barnard’s Nexus

The construction of Barnard College’s Nexus is taking longer than planned—and its cacophonous distractions and vibrations are irking many students.

The Nexus, slated to replace McIntosh as Barnard’s student center in 2009, is facing possible delays in its noisy first demolition and excavation stages. Workers at the site say that the nuisances will persist until the end of the current phase, which, according to the public schedule, is slated to occur in late October 2007.

According to Dorothy Denburg, dean of Barnard College, demolition has fallen behind schedule.

“With any type of construction, you will have some delays,” said Joanne Kwong, director of media relations. Total construction is scheduled to take take 18 to 24 months, with the steel structure slated to begin this winter.

With construction dominating the east side of campus extending from Lehman Lawn to Milbank, students and professors—divided among the aggravated and those excited for change—have adjusted to the sounds of rockchoppers and cranes.

Tovah Chouake, BC ’10, said that the noise hinders her concentration during classes. “The biggest hassle is that during lectures there is way too much noise. I find that really disturbing,” she said while pouring over her organic chemistry notes on the lawn adjacent to the construction site.

Some students report that during classes in Lehman Auditorium, the construction causes the room to vibrate. “One time it was so loud that everyone was clearly just focusing on the noise,” said Stephanie Grundberg, BC ’09.

Others who have classes in nearby Milbank relate that professors must stop mid-sentence to restart during especially loud hours of the day. Chemistry professor Dina Merrer, for instance, encouraged students to bring earplugs to the first exam.

Both Par Wrecking Corporation and Barnard—as well as construction workers at Columbia—have taken measures to lessen the impacts of the demolition. A Turner Construction Company employee working on the Northwest Science Building at Columbia revealed that site workers often employ a muffler to diminish the blare of the equipment and that they hose down the site in order to contain the dust.

Additionally, the college has ordered sound-attenuating windows for selected areas in Milbank and Altschul and is installing sound-dampening panels beneath Altschul 202.

Not everyone finds the noise particularly bothersome. Professor Dennis Dalton, who teaches Political Theory I in Lehman Auditorium, described the administration as being “candid and helpful” throughout the process. Dalton said that the project’s effects have not been as disruptive as anticipated.

Dalton had planned to switch teaching locations to outside or to a classroom on the Teachers College or Columbia campus. However, with Media Services’ supply of microphones and videotapes for lectures that students can watch if the noise impedes their focus, Dalton said he feels confident and relieved. In addition to noise and dust, the labyrinthine walls separating the construction site from Milbank, Altschul, and Lehman Library confuse some students. “At first, it was definitely difficult for first-years to find their way around,” said Alexis Soshnick, BC ’11.

As a result, many resort to using the tunnels to avoid the above-ground disturbances.
The Nexus building will become Barnard’s primary student center. The five-story structure will include a 500-seat multi-use space, academic offices, and classrooms.

Barnard students and faculty said they are optimistic about the expected product of the two-year job. “There is an obvious need for space,” Chouake said. Likewise, Dalton noted the lack of classrooms that can hold more than 300 students. “When I once had a class of 400 and the room wasn’t big enough, I was asked to chop the class in half and only keep 200 students,” Dalton said while observing the small works of art etched on the walls outside the construction site. “With this new building, I’ll [finally] be able to accommodate large classes.”

Scott Levi can be reached at news@columbiaspectator.com.