Building Project
Those returning to the Law School after a few years away are pleasantly surprised by how much the building has changed. With new classrooms, a new facade, and a new addition, it has never looked better. It may come as a surprise, then, that despite all the recent building and renovation, the Law School is about to embark on the largest building project in its history.
The project includes many different elements including building a stunning new public space, renovating the library, and adding special outdoor spaces. These seemingly disparate elements in fact all have a common theme: to create special places, both formal and informal, for the Duke Law community to gather.
Prior Projects
From 2000 to 2005, the Law School undertook a series of construction projects, altogether investing more than $30 million in upgrading its facilities. One important goal was to transform the outward appearance of the building, which we have accomplished by re-facading the main building using “Duke brick” and adding an impressive new entry tower.
On the inside, we completely refurbished our classrooms. We have undertaken five separate projects, with a total investment of almost $10 million, to rebuild most of our classrooms from the ground up. Each of our new classrooms features great acoustics, cutting-edge technology, and comfortable furnishings. We believe they are the finest law school classrooms in the country.
The culmination of the recent spate of building projects was the completion of a 30,000-square-foot new addition that opened in October, 2005. This handsome new wing provided new space for faculty offices, six of the student law journals, and two new seminar rooms. The principal beneficiaries were those students and faculty engaged in the Law School’s expanding clinics.
The New Project
With so much great new and improved space, what is left to be done? The strongest need was for a new public space to serve as the centerpiece of our community life. Currently, the Law School has only one relatively small space outside the library for students and faculty to gather informally.
Star Commons
Initially, the plan was to enclose the current Alumni Courtyard, but that plan proved to be logistically difficult and prohibitively expensive. We then turned our attention to the large space at the corner of Towerview Road and Science Drive. As the plans developed, it became clear that this was the perfect location. The new Star Commons–named after Stanley Star ’61 who has made a lead gift–will become the new focal point of our community life.
With ideal natural light and a prominent location, it will also become an important part of the Law School’s exterior–a shining jewel that will help define the Law School’s image. The Star Commons will be over 4,200-square-feet of space within a three-story glass enclosure. With balconies that look into the space, an adjacent café, and outdoor patio, it will provide comfortable seating for over 150 people to read, study, eat lunch or work together. It will also be able to host large lectures for over 350 attendees, or dinners for more than 200 people.
The notion of the public “commons” is a strong one in history. A commons is defined as a tract of land owned or used jointly by the residents of a community, usually a central square or park in a city or town. This new space will truly be the Law School "commons," to be enjoyed by all members of the Law School community.
Library
The project also includes a renovation of the Law Library, with the aid of foundational $6.5 million gift from The Duke Endowment. This includes an exterior renovation to the facade to add all-new larger windows in the reading room and mezzanine and replace the old brick with the new “Duke brick” that was used so successfully on the front of the Law School and the new addition. The plans also include adding several large windows on the second floor of the library. Bringing natural light to this level will provide the opportunity to create new study spaces in the library.
On the inside, the main reading room has been completely re-conceptualized. There will be fewer books on the main level, as the goal is to provide easy access not only to library services, but to those of the computing, Web, and media departments. A single point of service near the renovated entrance to the library will make it easy for students to obtain reference help, check out books, and get computing assistance. The seating will be rearranged to take advantage of the new two-story glass window walls and permit the reading room to become a light-filled center of our community’s intellectual life.
Special Outdoor Places
The project also includes the creation of two special outdoor venues to provide areas for the community to enjoy the natural beauty of the Duke Campus.
The Beber Sculpture Garden is already under construction. Made possible by a generous gift from Robert ’57 and Joanne Beber WC ’56, the woodlands garden features several pieces of outdoor sculpture by prominent North Carolina artists. The area includes a patio with Duke Stone walls, as well as a less formal area with tables set in the woodlands. Several of the sculptures are arranged around a lawn area with a brick seating wall.
“Marcy’s Garden,” named in honor of the late Marcy Horvitz and donated by Richard Horvitz ’78, will be located along Science Drive in front of the building. Marcy’s Garden will include a long Duke Stone wall with special seating areas, lush plantings, and a large lawn area, and will provide a special place for students to enjoy the outdoors while reading, studying, or talking with others.
Construction is scheduled to start in May 2007. The current estimates are for a 15-month construction window, with estimated completion for all parts of the project by mid-August 2008. As with our prior projects, construction photographs and further information will be posted on the Duke Law Web site. Please check often to see the progress.
