Free-hanging extension cords, industrial concrete floors and a fully stocked fridge welcome visitors to the Dartmouth Entrepreneurial Network’s Innovation Center and New Venture Incubator at 4 Currier Place, one of three major construction projects finished in time to open this term. Other projects are the Triangle House, an LGBTQ affinity house, and Kappa Delta sorority’s new physical plant.
Construction on all three projects was completed at or below budget and on schedule, vice president of campus planning and facilities Lisa Hogarty said.
Hogarty said that the College is also considering a long-term project to renovate dorms in the next decade, in conjunction with Hanlon’s living learning communities initiative.
Hogarty said the total cost of KD’s physical plant will likely fall just under its $3.5 million budget. The Triangle House is expected to cost $3.2 million, and construction for the Innovation Center will cost $385,000, she said — each at their expected budgets.
Due to College invoicing practices, she said, the final costs will not be available for a few months.
Including furnishing costs, the price of the Innovation Center project reached around $500,000, said Jamie Coughlin, the center’s director.
The center’s aesthetic was modeled to reflect its location as well as the rawness of the entrepreneurial process, Coughlin said. Design elements include green LED lights around the building’s windows, which he called “an ode to Baker Library’s green light,” and New Hampshire-sourced wood accents.
Coughlin also emphasized close collaboration between himself and project manager Jason Rouillard, as well as the quick timeline of the project.
“President Hanlon gave us this mandate on Sept. 20, and here we are,” Coughlin said. “This is warp speed.”
The space had a soft opening over the summer, and has since been used for workshops, speakers and student work.
The Triangle House is located behind the East Wheelock Cluster and neighbors Alpha Phi sorority. The building can house 25 people in singles and doubles, and contains meeting areas and study spaces, Hogarty said. The building also incorporates a two-bedroom apartment for an advisor.
Triangle House’s basement also contains a classroom currently hosting a course on sex, gender and society.
Mikala Williams ’18, one of the house’s first residents, said she has been pleased with her residential experience so far.
“I really lucked out — I’m really thankful to live here,” Williams said. “The house has a more homey feel, it’s really inviting.”
Rob Del Mauro ’18, another new resident, said that he values the house’s location and openness, as other residence halls can seem more crowded.
KD’s new house, which replaces its previous space on the fourth floor of Hitchcock hall, is situated between Delta Delta Delta sorority and Epsilon Kappa Theta sorority.
The house includes 23 single rooms, Hogarty said, a spacious meeting room, and an open patio along the back of the house.
KD president Bay ByrneSim ’15 wrote in an email that the sorority was excited to move into the new building.
“The camaraderie and sisterhood that we had in Hitchcock are only getting stronger,” ByrneSim wrote. “I love having a physical plant.”
ByrneSim added that she appreciates the new space, especially in light of KD’s planned programming, which includes professor dinners and philanthropy events.
KD celebrated the new building with a house-opening party on Saturday with students and administrators involved in the project.
This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction appended (Sept. 23, 2014):
This article initially reported that Kappa Delta sorority has a fireplace, which it does not. The article has been corrected.
