Seeley G. Mudd Chemistry Building
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The Seeley G. Mudd Chemistry Building was a chemistry laboratory and classroom building on the campus of
Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely follo ...
in the town of
Poughkeepsie, New York Poughkeepsie ( ), officially the City of Poughkeepsie, separate from the Town of Poughkeepsie around it) is a city in the U.S. state of New York. It is the county seat of Dutchess County, with a 2020 census population of 31,577. Poughkeepsi ...
. The
postmodern Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by skepticism toward the " grand narratives" of moderni ...
building stood on the north end of a cluster of other science buildings on the site of the school's first chemistry laboratory. It was completed in 1984 at a cost of $7.2 million after the college received money from a fund bequeathed to it in the
will Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...
of California cardiologist and professor
Seeley G. Mudd Seeley Greenleaf Mudd, M.D. (April 18, 1895 – March 10, 1968) was an American physician, professor, and major philanthropist to academic institutions. Early life Mudd was born in Denver, Colorado in 1895, and was the son of noted mining engine ...
. The structure replaced Sanders Hall of Chemistry and included elements designed to be energy efficient, notably a large wall of glass blocks that designers hoped would passively heat the building. Reviews of the structure were positive when it opened with critics praising the way its form complemented nearby older buildings. By 2015, many aspects of the building had been evaluated as being in ''Fair'' or ''Poor'' condition and the building was demolished in April 2016 as part of the Science Center project, later replaced with an open green space.


History

Vassar Brothers Laboratory was the first chemistry building on the campus of
Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely follo ...
in the town of
Poughkeepsie, New York Poughkeepsie ( ), officially the City of Poughkeepsie, separate from the Town of Poughkeepsie around it) is a city in the U.S. state of New York. It is the county seat of Dutchess County, with a 2020 census population of 31,577. Poughkeepsi ...
, built in 1880, around from the college's Main Building. The Laboratory, which was the first free-standing chemistry structure at a
women's college Women's colleges in higher education are undergraduate, bachelor's degree-granting institutions, often liberal arts colleges, whose student populations are composed exclusively or almost exclusively of women. Some women's colleges admit male stud ...
, stood until 1938, 29 years after the construction of its replacement, the Ewing & Chapelle-designed Sanders Hall of Chemistry. In 1981, the
Seeley G. Mudd Seeley Greenleaf Mudd, M.D. (April 18, 1895 – March 10, 1968) was an American physician, professor, and major philanthropist to academic institutions. Early life Mudd was born in Denver, Colorado in 1895, and was the son of noted mining engine ...
Fund granted Vassar $1.3 million for the construction of a new chemistry building. Mudd was a California-based cardiologist, professor, and trustee with the
University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
's
School of Medicine A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, MB ...
as well as with a number of other
West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to: Geography Australia * Western Australia *Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia * West Coast, Tasmania **West Coast Range, mountain range in the region Canada * Britis ...
schools. Over his lifetime, Mudd donated more than $10 million to higher education institutions and upon his death in 1968, his will established a further $44 million for building construction at universities and colleges, with the stipulation that institutions requesting a grant provide at least half the funds for their projects and that his name be prominently displayed on any buildings receiving the funding. While the cost of the building was originally reported to be $4.5 million, this estimate grew to $6.5 million by 1984 and would ultimately come to $7.2 million once the project was completed. The College planned to cover the costs not paid for by the Mudd Fund with a $100 million development fundraising program that spanned the entirety of the 1980s. Ground was broken on the new building on October 8, 1982, in a ceremony presided over by Vassar president Virginia B. Smith. Smith had previously selected engineer Fred Dubin to aid the school in constructing a more environmentally friendly chemistry building. As design progressed, she identified the need to hire architects to design the building alongside Dubin, so
Perry Dean Rogers Architects Perry Dean Rogers is an architectural firm based in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1923 as Perry, Shaw & Hepburn, the firm became notable for its designs for educational institutions. The firm was responsible for the restoration of Colonial Wil ...
of Boston were selected. Named the Seeley G. Mudd Chemistry Building after its benefactor, the building was constructed on the site where Vassar Brothers Laboratory once stood. Dubin initially tried to have it placed on the south side of Sanders Physics Building, but that site was deemed unworkable in part because of its proximity to the school's Shakespeare Gardens. The building was instead placed southwest of Sanders Hall of Chemistry, which would be renamed Sanders Classrooms, and completed a quadrangle consisting of both Sanders buildings and the New England Building. Though built across from Sanders Physics, Mudd was actually out of alignment with it. Zaldastani Associates served as the project's structural engineers and W. J. Barney Corporation served as its general contractor. In 2007, despite being Vassar's youngest completed academic building, a report by Platt Byard Dovell White Architects report found that many components of Mudd's structure were in either ''Fair'' or ''Poor'' condition. The structure was slated for demolition in spring 2016 as part of the college's Science Center project, which also included the construction of the new Bridge for Laboratory Sciences building and the renovations of the New England Building, Sanders Physics, and Olmsted Hall. The chemistry department began its move to the Bridge for Laboratory Sciences in summer 2015 and Mudd's demolition followed. Exterior facade elements, windows, and indoor walls were cut away before the building's frame was dismantled, concluding on April 22, 2016. The site was cleared and replaced with an open green space.


Features

The Seeley G. Mudd Chemistry Building was designed in the
postmodern Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by skepticism toward the " grand narratives" of moderni ...
style. The structure's exterior walls were constructed from limestone and brick that surround regular glass blocks, each about thick with side lengths ranging from . The brick and limestone walls faced the west, north, and east, while the southern face was primarily glass, a feature designed for efficient energy use; when sunlight hit the wall, air rose into the building and was heated, then pumped throughout where it aided in the operation of the structure's 46
fume hood A fume hood (sometimes called a fume cupboard or fume closet) is a type of local ventilation device that is designed to limit exposure to hazardous or toxic fumes, vapors or dusts. Description A fume hood is typically a large piece of equipme ...
s. The north wall, meanwhile, was designed to be resistant to cold air. The building was well insulated and its plain outer walls were as uninterrupted in material as possible to keep as much warm air inside the structure as possible in winters. Encompassing , the Seeley G. Mudd Chemistry Building stood three stories tall. The second and first floors (the latter of which lies partially below ground) contained laboratory space while the third floor consisted of communal and teaching spaces like classrooms and offices. Other offices on the first floor were lit via skylights. The stairwells in Mudd were designed with the purpose of discouraging students from passing through lab spaces to get from one side of the building to the other. In spite of this, Michael J. Crosbie reported in ''
Architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...
'' in 1986 that students had taken to passing through the building as a shortcut instead of going around it. Furnishings and carpeting in the building were deep blue and rust-colored. The 2007 report by Platt Byard Dovell White Architects evaluating the condition and context for many of Vassar's buildings found Mudd to be "by far Vassar's most interesting and most important post-Modern building." A contemporary review in ''Architecture'' commented that Mudd "responds on a variety of levels to its context, but it does so without sacrificing its own unique and powerful identity." Margaret Gaskie also praised the building's placement and contextualization among its fellow structures in a 1986 issue of ''
Architectural Record ''Architectural Record'' is a US-based monthly magazine dedicated to architecture and interior design. "The Record," as it is sometimes colloquially referred to, is widely-recognized as an important historical record of the unfolding debates in a ...
'': "the scale of the structure beneath its outcroppings is sympathetic to the existing buildings in the quad, and its mass, though larger, sappropriate to its role as a gateway between them and the central campus". She went on to positively comment on the building's aesthetics, saying, "the eye can feast on the mingled sparkle and luminosity drawn from minimal outdoor exposures used to maximum effect. In more public areas, where crisp glass-block and lucent glass ignite clear deep-timbered tones and pretty pastels, the feast becomes a banquet." Crosbie in ''Architecture'' noted "some instances of shoddy drywall work and sloppy painting" but otherwise praised the building's "bare-bones" and "nuts and bolts" interior as functional and environmentally friendly. The Platt Byard Dovell White report found that Mudd's glass walls "seem to function particularly poorly" as a passive heat control system but otherwise noted that the structure's expressive postmodernist ambitions marked it as "a strong, compact if busy building
hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
makes it more than a bit of a ''tour de force''." Mudd was awarded first place in a 1988 competition run by Pittsburgh Corning for its design.


References


Bibliography

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External links


Seeley G. Mudd Chemistry Building
on the Vassar College Chemistry Department website {{Vassar College, No Collapse Mudd Mudd School buildings completed in 1984 1980s architecture in the United States Mudd Buildings and structures demolished in 2016 Demolished buildings and structures in New York (state)