Stetson University in Deland, Fla., is increasing the space on campus devoted to health and science with construction of the CiCi &Hyatt Brown Hall for Health & Innovation.
At just over 40,000 square feet, the new building will connect to the 81,000-square-foot Sage Hall Science Center through glass-enclosed walkways. The buildings will form a 120,000-square-foot science complex for study of the health sciences, environmental sciences and other fields.
The new facility is named for longtime trustees and supporters Hyatt and Cici Brown, who donated $18 million to the project in 2018. In addition to new construction, Stetson will renovate portions of Sage Hall.
Renovations to Sage Hall will include a new cluster of research labs consisting of four different research areas to include cell tissue culture research, as well as molecular and microscopy research.
The facility will provide more formal and informal collaboration spaces for students. Changes to Sage Hall will require upgrading the building’s mechanical, electrical and plumbing infrastructure to support the demands of the new research environments.
Brown Hall will be outfitted with flexible and transparent active learning classrooms, a play therapy room, wet teaching labs, an environmental field studies mud room, a SMART lab, and research pods will enable students to work and learn in a variety of educational settings.
A new teaching kitchen, teaching/community garden and greenhouse will support the Sustainable Food Systems academic program, interdisciplinary learning, and the university’s larger community engagement efforts. The building also will be home to the new Stetson Center for Optimal Health Across the Lifespan, a collaborative group consisting of Counselor Education, Health Science, Psychology and Public Health departments.
The Sage Hall upgrades are expected to be completed for the Fall 2021 semester. Brown Hall is scheduled for completion by the Fall 2022 semester.
Harvard Jolly Architecture and Kahler Slater are the architects for the Brown Hall project, and Lord Aeck Sargent is the architect for Sage Hall’s renovation.
