An antiquated building on OSU’s northeast corner has undergone a thoroughly modern makeover. Celebrants who attend Kearney Hall’s grand opening on May 15 will observe its 19th-century heritage faithfully refurbished on the exterior. But on the inside, Kearney has been utterly transformed.
With its recycled materials, nontoxic finishes, salvaged woods, efficient lighting, low-flow fixtures and native landscaping, it is a stellar example of 21st-century sustainability. Certification for meeting U.S. Green Building Council LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) principles is pending.
Being a healthy place for Earth and earthlings, however, is far from Kearney’s only asset. The building, home to the School of Civil and Construction Engineering, is also a showcase for state-of-the-art engineering principles. As students climb the fir-plank stairs and walk the polished-concrete halls to their classes in the sleek new classrooms, lecture hall and multi-use teaching laboratory, they see materials and structures that are typically hidden. Exposed ducts and valves, pipes and wires, beams and bolts not only lend an edgy aesthetic, they also demonstrate construction in action. Students can even peer through glass portals to see structural secrets within the walls. In essence, the building is itself a teacher for tomorrow’s engineers.
Formerly Apperson Hall, the building was renamed in honor of alumni Lee and Connie Kearney (Civil Engineering, 1963, and Education, 1965, respectively), whose generous $4 million gift anchored the $12 million project. Programs housed in Kearney Hall include the Kiewit Center for Infrastructure and Transportation and the Robert C. Wilson Graduate Program in Business and Engineering.
Tours for the public will be given on May 15 from 1 to 4 p.m., followed by the grand opening celebration at 4:30 p.m. in front of Kearney Hall at the corner of N.W. 14th Street and Monroe Avenue.
For more about renovation of Kearney Hall:
OSU to Break Ground on $10 Million Renovation of Historic Engineering Building, 10-5-06
To support OSU engineering, contact the OSU Foundation