Repository: UIHistories Project: Planning Report - Chemical Sciences Building [PAGE 4]

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quality In the space used by the service laboratories and shops.

(These

are such labs and shops as the machine shop, the electronics shop, the computer center, the glassblowing shop, and the mass spectrometer lab,) The instructional labs that are Involved are used for the main sequence of laboratory courses taken by science majors of several persuasions following the freshman year. These "core" labs are now located on different

floors at opposite ends of Noyes Lab and also in the East Chemistry addition. A more centralized location in somewhat larger quarters is needed.

The courses involved have been recently inaugurated and they represent a new approach to teaching chemistry at the undergraduate level, which is more in tune with what chemistry is today and will be tomorrow. The

courses are heavily instrumented and require a wide variety of facilities. The economics of the situation require a large amount of equipment sharing between these courses which can be done efficiently only if they are located near one another. Again, much of the existing space in Noyes Lab is of

poor quality and lends itself only marginally for use in this new and important instructional program. The assignment of space in the new building to the graduate research program in physical chemistry (and chemical physics) recognizes that this area of the School is the most hardpressed in terms of existing facilities. The program in physical chemistry is restricted more than any other part of the School by the inadequacies of Noyes Lab. It has also become cramped

for space due to a continued growth over the past several years (from 65 in 1965-66 to 100 in 1970-71). In addition the central role of this area in

chemistry makes it highly desirable that it be located on the East Chemistry block in order to strengthen interactions between the physical chemists and those in other areas, particularly organic and biochemistry. It is through

such interactions that much of the frontier work in the chemical sciences evolves.