11-19-2024 4:50am

MASSCOM GOING

A glimpse at TU in 2027

New renderings of the Smith Hall renovation show state-of-the-art classrooms, learning labs, specialty spaces coming to campus

New renderings of the Smith Hall renovation are giving the campus community a look at the 200,000-square-foot building that will soon house TU's mass communication, communication studies and electronic media and film programs.

The renderings show a glass and terracotta exterior offering views into the state-of-the-art learning environments inside. Dedicated entrances lead to a 250-seat cinema and black box performance space where students can screen films and showcase performative research. Off a rooftop terrace above the main entrance, a two-story newsroom with anchor desks, monitors and a green screen simulates a fast-paced environment where students will prepare for future careers in print and digital journalism.

When it reopens in fall 2027, the redesigned building will support experiential learning and career readiness within the College of Fine Arts and Communication. It will feature active learning classrooms, collaborative study areas and a variety of specialty spaces to advance programmatic study. Such spaces include a TV studio, recording and audio production studios, VR and animation labs, a production sound stage, focus group observation rooms, a public relations and advertising agency lab and new suites for the Public Communication Center and TU Debate.

We’re completely reinventing the building to house innovative spaces for hands-on learning—from recording podcasts to producing and editing media, reporting breaking news, supporting collaborative research and more. The experience students gain in these spaces will make them well-prepared to thrive after graduation.

Regina Carlow, dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication

A hub for faculty exploration and excellence

The five-story building will also serve as home to the Faculty Academic Center of Excellence at Towson (FACET), which celebrated its fifth anniversary this fall. FACET offers faculty programming and resources for lifelong professional and skills development in research, teaching, mentoring and leadership. Located on the building’s second floor, the new FACET space will contain a dedicated emerging technology lab as well as expanded areas for faculty to participate in demonstrations, practice using the latest teaching technology and explore new and innovative pedagogies.

“We’re thrilled to offer faculty additional space to collaborate on their research, experiment with cutting-edge technologies and develop best-in-class instructional practices in a supportive environment,” says Patricia Westerman, assistant provost for FACET. “The building will enable our continued growth in support of TU faculty and students.”

TU’s first geothermal well

The building updates will occur over the course of three years and will entail both a renovation and new construction. Smith Hall’s west wing will be completely renovated inside and outside, while the 1960s-era east wing was demolished this summer and will be rebuilt to modern educational standards. Sustainable design features, including the university’s first geothermal heating and cooling system, are expected to help the building achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification.

There will be lots of new trees on the east side of the building connecting it to the wooded Glen, while the northwest side of the building is more open and designed to connect to the existing amphitheater. It’s designed to work with our existing landscape while creating innovative learning opportunities for students and faculty right in our academic core.

David Mayhew, director of design and construction services