| SIS building leaps zoning hurdle, moves closer to reality BY SALLY ACHARYA The new building for the School of International Service leaped a significant hurdle on its way towards breaking ground when the Zoning Commission approved the plans in a meeting last week. In essence, the Zoning Commission approved a rough outline of what the building will be like, including things such as its height, general appearance, and the size and location of the driveway into the garage. The design plans are still only about 20 percent complete, said Jorge Abud, assistant vice president of facilities and administration. They are expected to be finished in about a year. Once the hundreds of pages of detailed plans are about 90 percent finished, complete with the location of every light socket, AU will get on the waiting list for final approval by the city. The final approval takes about six months. If all goes according to the most optimistic scenario, ground will be broken in June 2007 for the innovative “green building” whose environmentally friendly design aims to encapsulate the values of SIS. The building could then be ready to greet students in 2009. The timing, of course, is flexible. But the zoning approval is a sign that the process, so far, is sailing ahead as projected. The overall plans feature light-filled, airy classrooms with a sunken garden and a rain garden that collects runoff and provides habitat for birds. Developed by design firm William McDonough and Partners and architectural firm Quinn Evans, the plans include a heavy use of recycled and renewable material, from ceramic tiles to countertops to doors and walls. Windows can be opened to bring in fresh air and a sense of connection with the outdoors. Paint, carpeting, and furnishings are intended to be as healthy as possible. Even toilet partitions are made of 90-percent recycled plastic. While the “eco-friendly” aspects of the building excite students and proponents of sustainable development, the biggest questions have arisen over the aspect that most concerns neighbors: traffic to and from the building. Although the expanded building does not mean an increased number of students, and traffic studies indicate that the building will not increase congestion, some neighbors had asked AU to change the driveway into the parking area from two lanes to three lanes in order to accommodate more traffic. AU made the change, but the Zoning Commission told the university earlier last month to change it back to a two-lane driveway in part because of concerns about paving green space. The location of the SIS building’s driveway at Nebraska and New Mexico is designed to integrate with existing traffic patterns, so that cars won’t have to weave into moving traffic as they do when they leave the Nebraska lot, but will be regulated by the traffic light at the intersection. Most of the traffic on Nebraska, Abud noted, is commuter and crosstown traffic unrelated to the university. During last week’s meeting, the commissioners reviewed the requested changes that AU had made and then gave their green light. The building will be located at the approximate location of the current parking lot by the university library. The cost of the new building is projected at $20 million. Funds are being raised as part of the $200 million AnewAU campaign. |
