Ven Te Chow Hydrosystems Laboratory / Civil Engineering Building Phase IIA

By 1964, the Civil Engineering program at the University had "the largest full-time enrollment and award[ed] more degrees than any other civil engineering department in the country". Space was tight, even with the forthcoming Newmark Lab, and so Phase IIa of the Civil Engineering Building was approved. The 50,800 net square foot (77,100 gross square foot) building was to "provide laboratory space for the remainder of the program in structures and additional office space", while freeing up 29,000 for other overcrowded departments. [1]

The groundbreaking of the Hydrosystems Laboratory was conducted on December 20, 1967. Built as the Civil Engineering Building Phase IIA, the building was designed by Richardson, Severns, Scheeler & Associates, Inc, and Berger, Kelly, Unteed & Associates and built by McCarthy, Hathman Construction Company. [2]

Funding for the new facility came from the Illinois Building Authority and a grant from the National Science Foundation. [3]

The building was later renamed the Ven Te Chow Hydrosystems Laboratory. [4]