UC's Teachers College/Dyer Hall to Undergo Renovations and Improvements

The

College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services

(CECH) is pleased to announce renovation plans for the College’s building Teachers College/Dyer Hall on the University of Cincinnati’s Uptown West Campus, after receiving Board of Trustees’ approval.

Bringing together UC’s Schools of Education, Criminal Justice, Human Services, and Information Technology, Teachers College/Dyer Hall provides a base for more than 130 CECH faculty members and 5,500 undergraduate and graduate students. The building also supports a number of UC students, as 25 percent of students take a least one class in Teachers College/Dyer Hall during their time at the university. 

A full building renovation was first approved in 2003 as a comprehensive plan to renovate the Teachers College/Dyer Hall complex. Subsequently, the renovation was divided into two phases (Phase 2 and Phase 3). Phase 1 was an earlier renovation project completed in 2001 that renovated 7,000 square feet of classroom and office space on the 500 level, added a new elevator, and made various ADA upgrades and HVAC improvements. The Phase 2 renovation was completed in 2008 and completely modernized the original Teachers College portion of the complex.

The current Phase 3 renovation project will address the need to update the Teachers College Addition and all of Dyer Hall – first built in 1931 and later joined to Teachers College in 1957 – while cleaning and preserving the neoclassical features of the building. Champlin Architecture, who was the architect for the Phase 2 renovation of Teachers College, will also complete this phase, which is slated to start in fall 2014 and will complete the much needed unification of the complex’s functionality and design.

“In addition to updating the building for 21st Century learning, we will improve critical, core building systems that have reached the end of their useful life, including the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electrical system, plumbing, and telecommunications systems,” said Greg Hollon, a program director who is leading the building rehabilitation project. “These systems have not been updated in decades and will help drive energy efficiency, among other benefits.”

The renovated building will also feature abundant natural light in a new, two-story atrium that will serve as the building’s new main entrance. The building is expected to be LEED Silver certified, generating significant energy efficiencies. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED certified buildings cost less to operate, reducing energy and water bills by as much as 40 percent.

As well as making necessary upgrades to the building’s HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems, the two-year renovation is expected to be completed in summer 2016 and will add the following to the building:

• Five classrooms, bringing the total to 10; the building will also keep its 14 labs
• A 120-seat auditorium with handicap accessibility;
• Two new elevators, bringing the total to four
• A small coffee shop;
• Digital and multimedia capabilities in all classrooms 
• A science lab complete with a fume hood, sinks, chemically resistant countertops, and prep areas
• New bathrooms on every floor; those on the 1st and 2nd floors will have limited-access showers 
• New conference rooms with the latest video conferencing equipment 
• Relocation of all HVAC systems to the roof, thereby creating interior space for other uses
• Specialized labs for math, science, information technology, American Sign Language, literacy, and pedagogy;
• An outdoor classroom in the courtyard
• New landscaping, outdoor seating areas, and outdoor lighting
• A video studio
• Digital signage throughout the building
• A more centrally located three-bay loading dock
• A multi-functioning meeting and conference room named in honor of Elizabeth Dyer, former dean and education pioneer, and given by her sorority Chi Omega to honor Dyer’s legacy to the sorority and to education;

“Building improvements will help us continue to meet the needs of current and future students,” said Lawrence J. Johnson, Dean of CECH. “We are pleased to be able to finish renovating the home of CECH, reflecting our commitment to constant improvement, innovation, and providing an environment where faculty, students, and staff thrive. As we work to improve our facilities, we strive to make the transition as convenient as possible by keeping much of the college together in our temporary locations.”

Beginning in May, CECH faculty and staff offices will be moved to the Student Residential Hall of the Campus Recreation Center (CRC). Those CECH offices not moving to the CRC – the CECH Office of the Dean, Business Office, Marketing and Development Office, and the Student Services Center – will remain in Teachers College/Dyer Hall during the renovation. Additionally, the 7th floor of Edwards 1 will become a Mac Lab for CECH.

No summer classes will be held in Teachers College/Dyer Hall. CECH classrooms and labs will be moved throughout the summer to structures where Wilson Auditorium used to be located, Clifton Court Pavilion North and South. These structures will house CECH classrooms and labs during the renovation. The structures also will be equipped with WIFI as well as two lounges, one for faculty and one for students.