Southwestern Magazine | Spring 2020

Mood–Bridwell Hall Renovation 13 SOUTHWESTERN AS PART OF SOUTHWESTERNUNIVERSITY’S COMPREHENSIVE campus master-planning process, initiated in late 2018, Mood–Bridwell Hall (MBH) will soon undergo a complete redesign and renovation. MBHisSouthwestern’s second-oldest survivingbuilding and is deeply connectedwith theUniversity’shistory. Constructed in1908as amen’sdormitory,MBHwashome to theV–12NavyCollegeTrainingPrograminWorld War II before being turned into a women’s dormitory and then back to a men’s dormitory. In 1965, MBHwas converted to the home of the Brown College of Arts and Sciences. The building currently includes offices for 49 professors, multiple classrooms, space for student organizations, and a beautiful central atrium. A steering committee is leading theMBH renovation initiative for the University. The committee is made up of faculty and staff members; instructors who currently teach in the building; and representatives from support departments, such as facilities management and information technology. Their goals are to create a high-quality learning environment that meets the needs of contemporary students and faculty members and focuses on adaptability, technology, ergonomics, and sustainability. They also hope to improve the environmental quality of the building, such as its indoor air quality, and tomaximize its daylight exposure and views while maintaining the scale, intimacy, and character of the original structure. Through this complete reconstruction, the committee hopes to enhance the collaboration capabilities that the space already offers. Southwesternpartneredwithanarchitectural firmin the fall of 2019 to engagewith the campus community and to define the future needs regardingMBH in order to develop architectural plans for the renovation. The overhaul will completely reconfigure the current space and add 3,000 square feet to the existing annex. The cost of the project is currently estimated at $15million. MBHwas last substantially renovated in 1977. Although it is a structurally sound, architecturally stunning, and iconic campus landmark, the renovation will ensure that it effectively serves the changing needs of 21st-century students and faculty. Mood–Bridwell boasts a long and varied history and has been an icon of the Southwestern Experience for 112 years. MORE COMMONS ON PAGE 40