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New Academic Building Opens

Students will Learn and Collaborate in the State-of-the-Art Facility

By Emily Parker
An outdoor view of the new CHESS building.

New Academic Building Opens

Students will Learn and Collaborate in the State-of-the-Art Facility

By Emily Parker | Videographer: Charlotte McKinney

In August, students walked through the newly completed Communication and Health, Exercise & Sport Sciences (CHESS) building for the first time. Inside, they found collaborative learning spaces and new instructional rooms with state-of-the-art equipment for the growing communication and health, exercise & sport sciences programs. There will be opportunities for interdisciplinary work that spans not only both of these programs but various majors on campus along with athletics, which also has offices in the building.

Walking into CHESS from the front patio, a gift from the Class of 1974, you find a beautiful lobby that is designed for students to sit and study or meet with friends. It will also hold receptions for special occasions.

The backdrop behind the sitting area is a water wall with the Lux and a fire feature that pays tribute to the fire and water ceremony first-year students attend each year.

The CHESS building has several interior and exterior energy-saving features, including window and door frames that are insulated to prevent thermal transfer, roof insulation that is on average three times the basic building code, LED lighting, and a super high-efficiency central air cooling system.

The building project started in April 2021 and was completed in July 2022 by Inland Construction, headquartered in Garner, N.C.

At the grand opening ceremonies in August for faculty, staff, and students, President Jo Allen, ’80, said, “This is a great way to start a new academic year – to see the investment in facilities and instructional programs, research opportunities, and collaboration with students. It is truly a great way to kick off what is going to be a great new academic year. I have never seen a project quite like this one with faculty from two different areas of the College coming together and saying they don’t want to be divided by their area of study. They want to be interwoven with each other and I think that is absolutely fabulous.”

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