Klaus Advanced Computing Building
The Klaus Advanced Computing Building is a relatively large academic building at the Georgia Institute of Technology that houses a portion of its College of Computing and related programs.
History
Financing
In 1999, the building was financed by a $15 million donation from successful internet entrepreneur and Georgia Tech alum, Chris Klaus.[1] Klaus was a founder of both Kaneva and Internet Security Systems, and was 25 at the time of his donation.[2] Klaus' contribution was one of the largest donations in Georgia Tech's history.[3] Architect Perkins+Will was selected.
Planning
Construction was initially planned to start in Summer 2003, but there was some difficulty in the ownership of the many parcels that the site encompassed. Several were of uncertain ownership, and Georgia Tech had to verify that it owned every part of the site before the Georgia Board of Regents would allow construction to proceed.[4]
"[I]f you look at some old maps, way, way back when [Tech] was just a few buildings, these [parcels] were all home sites... Before the Board of Regents will allow anyone to build on a site, they have to have the deed in hand and know that the property belongs to the Board of Regents... That was a major, major issue for us... [W]e literally had to go through [each parcel] with the city and everybody else trying to reconcile who’s the owner."[4]
Construction bids were set in December 2003, and the winning contractor was scheduled to begin in early January.[4] General contractors WG Yates received permission from the state to occupy the site in February 2004.[5] From that date, the project was expected to take two years to complete.[4]
Construction
There was a "Virtual Ground Breaking" ceremony on April 1, 2004 that featured a 3d virtual tour of the building.[6] The building was officially opened on October 26, 2006.[3][7]
Features
The building has 414,000 square feet of space and more than 70 laboratories.[1][8] There is a three-story parking deck beneath the facility that holds 534 vehicles in order to minimize the number of surface lots on campus, and an open pathway through the center of the building that facilitates pedestrian traffic that would otherwise go around the building.[2] It has been cited as environmentally friendly, and earned the United States Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification. Several of those features include extensive green space (over 50 percent of the six-acre site), a storm water collection system that provides water for irrigation, energy efficient heating and cooling systems, and extensive use of recyclables.[2]
Occupants
While it was initially planned to house both the College of Computing and the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), the building's occupants are primarily from or related to the College of Computing; specifically, it is home to the College of Computing's School of Computer Science and Computational Science and Engineering Division, three research centers (GTISC, CERCS and ARC), and over 20 College of Computing Research Labs.[3][9]
References
- ^ a b Dunn, John (November 2006). "Tech Dedicates Klaus Advanced Computing Building". Buzz Words. Georgia Tech Alumni Association. Retrieved 2007-07-12.
- ^ a b c "Klaus Advanced Computing Building Grand Opening". Events. Georgia Tech College of Computing. Retrieved 2007-07-12.
- ^ a b c Kaul, Vivas (2006-11-03). "Klaus Building opens its doors to students". The Technique. Retrieved 2007-07-12.
- ^ a b c d Amick, Daniel (2003-11-14). "Klaus computing building moves ahead after initial delay". The Technique. Retrieved 2007-07-12.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Preparations begin on new computing facility". The Whistle. 2004-02-16. Retrieved 2007-07-12.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "The Christopher W. Klaus Advanced Computing Building Virtual Ground Breaking Uses 3-D Digital Technology" (Press release). Georgia Institute of Technology. 2004-03-24. Retrieved 2007-07-12.
{{cite press release}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Campell, Elizabeth (2006-10-30). "Advanced computing facility fuels collaborative spirit". The Whistle. Retrieved 2007-07-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Klaus Advanced Computing Building: Overview". Georgia Tech College of Computing. Retrieved 2007-07-12.
- ^ "Klaus Advanced Computing Building: Labs & Research Spaces". Georgia Tech College of Computing. Retrieved 2007-07-12.