Posts by Lawrence Biemiller

April 11, 2012, 01:37 PM ET

Lovely to Look At, Costly to Keep Up

By Lawrence Biemiller

Antioch Hall, opened in 1853, is among Antioch College buildings that are now empty and unused. (Chronicle photographs by Lawrence Biemiller)

Yellow Springs, Ohio — Antioch College has a beautiful campus, with a trio of eclectic 1853 buildings surrounded by whole textbook's worth of Modernist structures, some of them very good. The strange thing is, though, that right now there are almost exactly as many buildings (34) as students (33), and the 200-acre campus—which once accommodated as many as 2,000 students—feels eerily empty. Now and then a student crosses from Eero Saarinen's 1948 Birch Hall, the one open dorm, to the library or the only open classroom building, and occasionally a neighbor walking a dog wanders by. But for the most part a visitor is alone among shuttered buildings and tall trees. This will change over time, administrators at the reopened institution promise�... Read More

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February 28, 2011, 12:05 PM ET

Performing-Arts Center Is an Instant Landmark on Cal State's Northridge Campus

By Lawrence Biemiller

The main hall of the new Valley Performing Arts Center on California State University's Northridge campus seats 1,700. (Chronicle photographs by Lawrence Biemiller) Northridge, Calif. — If you don't live on this side of Los Angeles—that is, if you don't live in the San Fernando Valley, which stretches north and west of downtown—getting to Northridge can mean a hike through heavy traffic. But the trip is worth making to see the new, $125-million Valley Performing Arts Center on the California State University campus here. The building sparkles. Designed by HGA Architects & Engineers, the 166,000-square-foot facility has a 1,700-seat main hall and a black-box theater along with rehearsal space and the usual amenities—dressing rooms, costume facilities, and a set-construction shop. Also in the complex are classrooms, a 230-seat lecture hall—the campus's largest—and studios for... Read More

October 8, 2010, 05:00 AM ET

Shop Talk: Friday, October 8

By Lawrence Biemiller

Steam plant

• U. of Alabama at Birmingham Plans Major Steam-System Upgrade (U. of Alabama at Birmingham image)

• Green Roof on New College of Wooster Recreation Facility Claims Title of Country's Largest

• 3 Idaho Colleges Would Share New Building in Coeur d'Alene

• Long Beach Campus of Cal State U. Will Improve Seismic Safety of 3 Buildings

October 7, 2010, 07:00 AM ET

Shop Talk: Thursday, October 7

By Lawrence Biemiller

U.C. Davis winery

• $20-Million Teaching Winery at U. of California at Davis Aims for LEED Platinum (U. of California at Davis photo)

• Swarthmore College Offers Tours of Its Green Roofs

• Company Builds International-Student Housing at Temple U.

• Southern Methodist U. Will Add 5 Residence Halls With 1,250 Beds

October 6, 2010, 01:00 PM ET

Shop Talk: Wednesday, October 6

By Lawrence Biemiller

CSU Channel Islands North Hall

• California State U.-Channel Islands Breaks Ground for $32.6-Million Academic Building (California State U.-Channel Islands rendering)

• Howard Community College Will Close Historic Conference Center

• Agnes Scott College Keeps 64 Percent of Campus Waste Out of Landfills

• North Dakota State U. Still Doesn't Know Why Building's Wall Collapsed

October 5, 2010, 02:00 PM ET

Yale Unveils Detailed 3-Year Sustainability Plan

By Lawrence Biemiller

According to a three-year "sustainability strategic plan" released on Monday, Yale University hopes to make its buildings greener, reduce its energy consumption, recycle more of its waste, persuade staff members and students to drive less, and take a number of other steps aimed at making the institution a leader in sustainability. The plan builds on Yale's commitment to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions 43 percent below their 2005 levels by 2020.

Conceived by a task force comprising nine committees, the plan sets a number of goals for departments throughout the university. Among them:

Design new buildings and renovation projects at least to LEED gold standards.
Require all project managers and planners to earn certification as LEED green associates.
Increase the university's recycling rate by 25 percent, and reduce the amount of solid waste sent to landfills by 25 percent.
Cap the number ...