On January 29, 2011, the Harvey Mudd College Board of Trustees voted to proceed with the construction of a new, academic building to support HMC's unique blend of collaborative, interdisciplinary teaching and learning. The Board's historic vote represents the culmination of over a year of careful planning, community discussion, and a commitment to advance what this amazing college does best—educate leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics who understand the impact of their work on society.
HMC will replace the fondly remembered, but now outdated Thomas-Garrett Hall (occupied in 1961), with a modern and architecturally inspiring 70,000 square-foot academic building. At a cost of approximately $43 million, the new building will provide flexible and technologically-advanced classrooms, lecture halls, faculty offices and public spaces to support the widest range of pedagogies and learning styles—for today and tomorrow.
Brochure
Building goals
The building has been designed to achieve important goals developed by faculty, students, alumni and staff during an open, collaborative planning process.
Goals include:
- Doubling existing teaching and learning space
- Fostering faculty and student interaction
- Helping HMC attract and retain the best faculty and students
- Nurturing creativity with digital media and other technology
- Serving as the new focal point of campus
- Uniting the HMC community
- Serving as a national model for sustainable campus design and construction
More detail
- Doubling the teaching and learning spaces available to faculty and students, supporting core curriculum enhancements and new programs.
- Fostering faculty and student interaction and interdisciplinary collaboration, hallmarks of the HMC experience. Adaptable spaces will provide opportunities for formal and informal instruction, innovation and exchange between faculty and students, as well as with visiting alumni, educators, industry leaders, and community members.
- Helping HMC to continue to attract and retain the best faculty and students throughout the nation and the world. This will be the first academic building to be erected on the HMC campus since the Olin Science Center was constructed nearly 20 years ago to house the then new departments of Biology and Computer Science.
- Nurturing the tremendous creativity of our faculty and students with state-of-the-art digital media and electronic music studios, an expanded Writing Center, gallery space for artistic exhibitions, and large venues for public musical, theatrical and dance performances.
- Serving as the new focal point of campus, the primary gateway through which to welcome prospective students and their families, new and visiting faculty, alumni, and corporate and civic partners.
- Uniting the HMC community, serving as a bridge between the academic and residential sides of campus, and as a vibrant gathering place and crossroads for interdisciplinary learning of all kinds.
- Serving as a national model for the future of campus building design and construction – a highly sustainable, or "green," building.
Building for the future
In just over 55 years, this amazing College has set the bar for undergraduate education exceptionally high. Today, as HMC returns the U.S. to the forefront of innovation in technology and industry, and bridges the STEM education opportunity gap for women, minorities and other underrepresented populations, we must build for the future.
Our existing facilities have served us well, but as HMC continues to develop global leaders—with graduates making significant contributions to industry, academia, government and the arts, as well as earning the highest starting salaries of any undergraduates in the U.S.—it's time to move forward. Our students and faculty deserve world-class facilities.
Considering the amazing things this college has achieved to date with limited space and resources, it's exciting to imagine the possibilities.
