Another milestone in science center construction

Construction of the new Center for Integrated Sciences, the single largest academic construction project in Skidmore’s history, reached another milestone Oct. 1 as President Philip A. Glotzbach took part in a ceremonial bricklaying at what will become the main entrance of the building’s North Wing.

The North Wing is slated to open in time for the start of the 2020-2021 academic year, and the entire project is slated for completion in 2024.

“We’re excited to mark yet another major step toward completing the first phase of the CIS project,” Glotzbach said. “Each brick and the entire CIS building symbolize a strong foundation for the sciences at Skidmore long into the future. The center will benefit all students and promote new collaborative and cross-disciplinary learning experiences for both faculty and students for decades to come.”

Glotzbach received a quick lesson in masonry before setting two layers of brick for the entryway, which will ultimately become the west entrance when the full Center for Integrated Sciences is complete.

“It reminds me how good these professionals are in doing this work and how much we count on them for high-quality construction,” Glotzbach said after the experience.

The CIS project will add 200,000 total square feet of new and renovated academic space to Skidmore’s campus, including more than 20 classrooms and teaching suites, more than 40 research labs, student study spaces and a large makerspace where students and professors can explore integrative and creative solutions to today’s most pressing issues.

CIS is at the heart of Creating Our Future: The Campaign for Skidmore, an effort to raise $200 million by 2020 for Skidmore’s future. The College has already raised more than $189 million toward the campaign goal.