The University of Toledo celebrated the completion of a new greenspace in front of the College of Engineering’s Nitschke Hall on Thursday, Oct. 3.
“Students, faculty and staff are looking forward to enjoying the new campus quadrangle, which completes a series of recent renovations within facilities serving our College of Engineering,” said Dr. Mohammad Elahinia, interim dean and Distinguished University Professor. “This attractive greenspace is a new gateway and welcome complement to the state-of-the-art facilities inside Nitschke Hall and the North Engineering Building.”
The University of Toledo celebrated the completion of a new greenspace in front of the College of Engineering’s Nitschke Hall on Thursday, including a ribbon-cutting ceremony with, from left, Interim President Matt Schroeder; Alexus Hofacre, an undergraduate student in the College of Engineering; Dr. Mohammad Elahinia, interim dean for College of Engineering; and Jason Toth, senior associate vice president for administration.
The engineering campus quad sits on the former site of Palmer Hall, which crews demolished in June following extensive renovations to North Engineering.
These renovations, which were completed in December, retrofitted a formerly underutilized portion of the building with 15 classrooms, 12 laboratories, a maker space and facilities for Rocket Motorsports, the student organization that designs and builds a Formula One-style racecar for competition in Formula SAE, among other amenities.
The renovated classrooms replaced those previously utilized in Palmer Hall.
The new quad now covers nearly two acres adjacent to Nitschke Hall and North Engineering on the east side of Main Campus. It incorporates multiple picnic tables, a hammock park and a work of art sourced through the Ohio Arts Council program Percent for Art.
“Interact,” a nine-piece limestone structural seating element by Brad J. Goldberg, is positioned as a focal point of the quad and is intended to support informal gatherings of students, faculty and staff.
Landscaping on the new quad will highlight native plants, with multiple beds designed and maintained by Greening UToledo Through Service Learning (GUTS), a student-facilitated service-learning initiative to increase biodiversity on campus.
“The new quad creates a strong visual connection between Nitschke Hall and North Engineering, while showcasing their beautiful glass facades,” said Jason Toth, senior associate vice president for administration. “We’re excited for this greenspace to support the College of Engineering similarly to the way our award-winning Centennial Mall supports the heart of Main Campus.”
