Building Expansion At Lincoln College

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31113, 16 July 1966, Page 8

Building Expansion At Lincoln College

In the next few years it is likely that buildings worth about £2m will be erected at Lincoln College. The college is in the throes of a riiajor expansion programme in an endeavour to keep pace with the rise in student numbers.

Mr J. H. Scott, assistant registrar (buildings) said this week that quite apart from the natural increase in student numbers, which could be attributed to the rise in the birthrate after the war, the percentage of school leavers entering the college had been rising about 0.05 per cent a year in some classes. Since 1960, he said, student numbers had doubled from 323 to 650 today, and they were now thinking in terms of a roll of 1500 fulltime students by 1980. The college council, he said, had set aside 130 acres on which it was proposed that all buildings required for academic and residential needs should be located. This meant that all farming and horticultural activities had to be removed from this area. This would be carried out gradually and as part of this shift a new dairy shed was at present being erected on the college dairy farm. The dairy at present in use was in the area set aside for buildings. The poultry unit, which was also in this area, had already been closed down.

The major building project at present in progress is the erection of the 100,000 square foot teaching block, costing about £750,000, to be known as Hilgendorf wing, after Dr. F. W. Hilgendorf, a distinguished former member of the staff.

The erection of this building is up to schedule and is expected to be completed by July next year. It will house four groups of college departments agricultural economics, farm management and

rural education; animal science, animal health and physiology and biochemistry; plant science, microbiology and zoology; and horticulture. The facilities here will include 11 lecture rooms, undergraduate and research laboratories, staff offices and staff common rooms and 10 glasshouses on the roof.

A laboratory which is a replica of that planned for the new building has been set up at the college and used by all the departments which will be quartered in the new block to ensure that these facilities will be entirely satisfactory. A feature of the construction of the building is that the east and west walls are made up of pre-cast window units each weighing about three tons. These are swung into position by crane.

Since approval was given for erection of this building the growth of students numbers at the college has been such that it is likely that the new facilities will be fully utilised quickly and consideration is already being given to the erection of a further 45,<X)0 square foot wing between the block now under construction and Springs road.

The largest lecture room in the new block will seat 180 but by next year the college will have classes bigger than this and temporary arrangements are being made to take these classes next year and consideration is being given to the provision of larger lecture rooms.

Mr Scott said ft was hoped that a start would be made shortly on the construction of two halls of residence to the south of the college sports field. A feature of these identical buildings will be three three-storey towers. Each storey of these towers will

accommodate eight students so that there will be 72 students in each hall. Communal facilities will be on the ground floor. The halls will each cost about £130,000 and a major grant from Colombo Plan funds will cover much of the cost of one of them.

The college also has under consideration the erection of motel-type accommodation for 20 senior students. The first building of this type will be known as Garrett House, in memory of the late Associate Professor H. E. Garrett. Members of the Old Students’ Association have contributed towards the cost of this building, which is expected to involve the expenditure of about £25,000. Mr Scott said that approval had also been sought for erection of the first stage of the student union complex. This would consist of a gymnasium and two squash courts. These would be situated on the sports field adjacent to the proposed halls of residence. Other projects still in the preliminary planning stage include:

The second stage of the student union complex, including a conference hall and associated cafeteria facilities to be known as the W. H. Gillespie memorial hall in memory of the late Mr Gillespie, who was chairman of the college board of governors from 1951 to 1961.

Extensions to the college library. Extensions to the agricultural engineering teaching block.

New workshops for the agricultural engineering department. An administrative block. Further halls of residence. Accommodation for single male staff. Mr Scott said that this building programme would naturally necessitate an expansion of associated services. Approval had accordingly been given for replacement of boilers in the boiler house with boilers of larger capacity and for the reorganisation and expansion of electrical services. There would also have to be a considerable programme of reading, kerbing and channelling and extra parking space would have to be provided.