CP&D October 20th

This week the Capital Planning department has been very busy. I have yet to meet with CLS because some of the department’s priorities have shifted due to the president’s approval of a campus wide space analysis. Part of the work at Capital Planning is prioritizing usable space at Linfield. Over the course of a decade our school’s departments might look significantly different than they do now - for example, many student don’t know that Newby and Pioneer both at one point in time housed the chemistry department before Murdock Hall was built. In fact, many of the old structures on campus have been used for various departments over the years. This is because Linfield is constantly undergoing expansion whether it’s physical or interdepartmental - this is why we need a Capital Planning department. Like an architect, CP&D brings to life the visions of people such as the trustees, but always in most efficient way possible.

Currently we are taking inventory of all classroom space in order to prioritize and consolidate departments. This means I get to work with many of the blueprints of campus buildings – some dating back as far as the 1930s. That being said, I am in the process of learning how to read blueprints and calculate net-usable square footage of classrooms for each hall. It looks like this will be a lengthy task but my work will go before the board when our supervisor meets to discuss future plans. 

-KC