January 31

Renovation in Rather Hall is progressing steadily. Workers are finishing work in the mechanical penthouses found on the rooftop. Workers have installed glass windows which will serve as window walls in study lounges on each floor. Along the same wall, darker, decorative glass can be seen from an exterior view which separates each level of flooring.

Inside Rather Hall, heating is now working throughout. Work is being done on the ceilings in the bathrooms and will be completed soon. Wiring throughout the resident wings is complete and resident rooms have been primed. Workers have decided on a lighting strategy for the resident wing hallways that will include varying patterns of lights. Thin strips of lighting will alternate between both sides of the resident hallways and near the middle of the hallways, recessed can lighting will be installed.

On the third and fourth floors, framing is in place for the laundry rooms, which will be the main laundry rooms for Rather Hall. Framing has been installed on the third floor for the hall’s kitchen area that will be open to all students. Framing is now in place for three large-screen televisions to be mounted across from the kitchen on the third floor and will be a gaming and entertainment area.

The second floor of Rather Hall is dedicated to office spaces and conference rooms specifically for The Charles Drew Science Scholars program. A similar layout will be found in Bailey Hall for Residential Initiative on the Study of the Environment (RISE).