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f' *1 m0 by Kathleen McDonough visitors. Concern over distances between buildings is warranted by the often harsh Buffalo winters—the adolescent Amherst trees providing meager protection from the strong winds—so, Neal said, many walkways are lined with handrails. But concern about the weather is minor in comparison with past crises leaving much of Amherst’s future in doubt. A emerged: either the downtown Buffalo waterfront, or the tract of land on Amherst’s outskirts. Politicians aligned themselves on either side and the Amherst site survived the battle of competing interests. In early 1969, construction of the infant campus stalled for 11 months under charges that the campus was being built by a “lily white” work force. Governor Nelson Rockefeller agreed to a construction- moritorium until minority workers and firms could be guaranteed a stake in the construction gold mine. The Managing Editor The tour begins in his fifth floor Capen Hall office. One of four new parking lots is clearly seen from there. Neal estimates that each lot will accomodate 400 to 500 cars. Lack of parking space has been a common complaint, but Neal thinks the additional lots “will solve the parking problem for the next four or five years.” He caufioned that the distances from buildings to lots will not be shortened. The Amherst Campus has been tempermental during its ten year journey from swampland towards the educational and architectural nirvana once envisioned. Staggering out of a depressing two and one- half year construction freeze in 1977, it seemed to wander aimlessly until last Spring, when construction lurched ahead on six new buildings. This past summer, the building increased at an encouraging rate, with roadwork and underground utility lines keeping pace. Two of the six buildings will serve the School of Engineering, primarily the Departments of Mechanical and Civil Engineering. They mirror the concrete patchwork design of their neighbors. Bell and Furtas Halls. Bell Hall provides classroom and office space but not the necessary laboratories. Fumas Hall houses some laboratories. 1 The campus was born out of a political controversy over its location. Two choices To build a building moritorium was lifted in Feburary 1970 after Rockefeller issued a-heavily criticized affirmative action plan. In Spring 1974, close to S4 million was slashed from Amherst construction funds for the following year. This announcement foreshadowed the Statewide freeze on It’s a long and winding road Raising a building from blueprint to reality But the building is still in the “design in the SUNY system involves more than nuts stage.” Before construction can begin, the and bolts. Even drawing it from conception entire process of securing money must be to blueprint requries a series of bureaucratic repeated. The request for construction funds maneuvers. v- . - must..follow the well-worn but often rough construction which began in October 1975. High interest rates on the bonds used to finance construction and New York City’s financial collapse contributed to the stoppage. First, the New York State Legislature must okay funds for a building’s design— not con- struction, just design. Once the request for path through the State Asembly, Senate, the Governor's office and the Division of Budget. The freeze melted under heat from student groups, the Professional and Faculty Senates, President Robert L. Ketter, area politicians and local contractors—who stressed the relationship between Amherst construction and the Western New York economy. Although Albany could theoretically freeze construction again at any time, the six new buildings are considered “safe” since the foundations have been laid. According to Vice President for Facilities Planning John Neal, the new additions, scheduled for completion late in Fall 1980, will provide additional labs including some more specialized ones—such as a vibrations testing lab. Two more Engineering buildings are eventually planned, Neal said, including one containing special equipment for the Department of Electrical Engineering. The State has not committed funds for these structures. design funds makes it through the Legislature, the Governor must give his approval. Then the Division of Budget must release the funds. From there, the State negotiates a design contract from architectural firms, many of which have samples of their work on file with the State. If that company has a good track record, it is awarded the contract. Next the State announces it is opening bids for the construction. The proposals of the low bidder are examined by Albany and the architectural firm to ensure that they meet design specifications. If not, the next highest bidder is checked out. But if the lowest bid turns out to be higher than the amount allocated by the State, the The next building on Neal’s guided tour yvill house six lecture halls. The largest of the six, slated to open in early 1981, will hold about 500 students. Rooms with capacity for over 100 students are scarce on the Amherst Campus, forcing departments located at Amherst to hold large lectures on the Main Street Campus while students and professors —continued on page 18— Building design is a complex process, ranging from 18 to 24 months —sometimes taking longer than the actual construction of the building. It encompasses everything from space usage, wiring, aesthetic appeal, pedestrian traffic, right down to the process starts all over again. Occasionally, various aspects of the building, such as the plumbing, arc awarded to different contractors. Each demands a bidding process all its own. Finally—barring any unforseen Albany action—the building is named . . . but that’s another story. Many concerns The new Engineering buildings are visible from the ground level, but to get a sense of the other buildings under construction, a “bird’s eye view” is helful. To provide this, Neal has devised a walking “tour” for doorknobs INTERNSHIP BUFFALO COU ON WORLD AF N C I L FAIRS 4 CREDIT HOURS SUNY/ Buffalo student , to assist Executive Director in all phases of International Program Development. Provide Stimulus for new programs, projects and discussion of Inter- national issues. For complete information contact: Mrs. Diane Burton Buffalo Council on World Affairs (716)854-1240 Sponsored and Supervised by SUNY/Buffalo Council on International Studies
