Beadle Hall is in the middle of a major renovation. As the oldest building on campus, it’s seen generations of students walk through its halls. For the past year, it’s been a construction zone. Many parts are taking shape, but the work is still ongoing. We’re grateful to the maintenance staff (You rock, Kelvin!) for the hardhat and private tour! Here’s a snapshot of where things stand. DSU plans for the building to open by Fall.
The most significant change has been relocating the central stairway to the Southeast corner of the building. This makes for a more efficient use of space, opening more room for places for students to connect or wait between classes and adding a new classroom to the several already in the building. And the lovely windows lighting the stairs now are an absolute win!New office spaces abound. The 1970-s era drop-ceilings are gone, so the higher ceilings make the whole building feel much larger. We promise the hallways aren’t so narrow as our .5 lens makes it appear! They are quite spacious!BH 334, one of now FOUR 3rd story classrooms, was formerly difficult to access for anyone with mobility limitations. Now it’s just 4 steps from the elevator!Natural light abounds! With the drop-ceilings gone, the original colorful glass at the top of most windows really pops! This shot was taken on the first floor, in the south portion where BH 110 once was located, facing SE.
This is a new classroom space in the basement that was formerly occupied by an early-Twentieth century kiln that took up 1/3 of the room! We cannot imagine the work in simply removing it! Steel studs add fireproofing, too. The new room is in the southeast corner of the basement, and here we are facing north. Through the (temporary) door is the elevator access area.
An art room that fills the entire west end of the 3rd floor is flooded with natural light. The orange pipes in the raised-ceiling are a wonderful upgrade: a modern sprinkler system to further protect Beadle for another 139 years!New insulation is stockpiled for installation here in one of the two largest classrooms. The camera is facing northwest.A view from the second floor, looking toward the southeast.New ventilation tucks in snugly before the ceiling is added in one of the two largest classrooms. This shot is looking north by northwest.
