|
Post by HoyaSinceBirth on Apr 13, 2007 14:53:42 GMT -5
Yes this scinece center is in desperate need. The facilities are no better than at my highschool.
|
|
|
Post by ExcitableBoy on Apr 15, 2007 13:35:40 GMT -5
Read the release again, and you'll understand why this building will be obsolete the day it opens, because it's more of a faculty building than a true science building. The fundamental problem with the sciences at Georgetown is that GU still acts as if traditional biology, chemistry, and physics is the sciences. The 21st century will demand attention to issues Georgetown isn't even in the same time zone with, from biometrics and information assurance (which a school like GU could get millions in funding if it were an active participant) to the emerging concepts in applied science and AI, not to mention the huge issues of integrating public science and health through networked technolgies. These are issues that affect all four schools, but if it's not related to pre-med, it's not in the mix. I'm afraid the building will be a nice new home for the faculty, but without the big picture thinking to ask what science in the US is going to be in 25 or 50 years, which is the lifespan of this building. DFW, Are you saying that basic research won't be important to 21st century research or are you saying that the key to a successful science program is the ability to integrate the basic & the applied research? I would hope the latter.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2007 16:27:48 GMT -5
DFW and others - I agree with your concern that this classroom-offices-teaching (at least that's what it sounds like) building might be a large expenditure with no real impact on the way the sciences are presented at Georgetown...
... but I seem to recall reading somewhere that the building is being built for just that purpose, with the expectation that one day Reiss will be replaced with the "hands-on" science building?
Or am I just halucinating from all those chemicals Coast2Coast and I inadvertently inhaled in chem lab a good 10 years ago?
|
|
DFW HOYA
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 5,861
|
Post by DFW HOYA on Apr 16, 2007 20:43:04 GMT -5
... but I seem to recall reading somewhere that the building is being built for just that purpose, with the expectation that one day Reiss will be replaced with the "hands-on" science building? Like many good ideas at Georgetown (the Leavey Center Theater, the softball field at the SW Quadrangle, and the New South student union), the money got in the way. Reiss will not be replaced and should be on the landscape for decades to come.
|
|
hoyatables
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 2,604
|
Post by hoyatables on Jul 6, 2007 8:41:28 GMT -5
|
|
hoya4ever
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
Posts: 805
|
Post by hoya4ever on Jul 6, 2007 10:22:04 GMT -5
This very well might be a stupid question but why do we need the approval of all these commissions to build something on private property?
|
|
kchoya
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Enter your message here...
Posts: 9,934
|
Post by kchoya on Jul 6, 2007 12:23:55 GMT -5
This very well might be a stupid question but why do we need the approval of all these commissions to build something on private property? It's no different than if you were building an addition on to your house in DC or any other city - you would need to get a building permit and comply with the applicable zoning codes, ordinances (and possible CCR's). That's true even though you're building on private property you own. (Note - discussion on whether getting ANC approval is even remotely similar to getting approval from your local board of adjustment (or whatever) is saved for another post).
|
|
|
Post by HoyaSinceBirth on Jul 6, 2007 12:33:55 GMT -5
well kc that is different though. Georgetown has to go through the city zonign stuff in addition to getting ANC approval. Which i think is completely bogus. I mean if i'm buildign that addition onto my house does the guy who lives two houses over get a say in whether or not i can build that addition?
|
|
SoCalHoya
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
No es bueno
Posts: 1,313
|
Post by SoCalHoya on Jul 6, 2007 12:57:53 GMT -5
I think the ANC's stranglehold is ridiculous, but there is something to the idea that if your neighbor is going to build a huge add on to his property (e.g., a duplex/triplex), that it will have an effect on your life, like power consumption, sewage, traffic, emergency services, etc.
|
|
|
Post by HoyaSinceBirth on Jul 6, 2007 13:06:08 GMT -5
That's true. But there should be a strict series of guidlines that they have to follow, like you can only reject an idea if you cna proove it negatively affects the community. and perhaps there should be an impartial decisions. For all i know this probably exists. But the amount of power the ANC wields is ridiculous.
|
|
kchoya
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Enter your message here...
Posts: 9,934
|
Post by kchoya on Jul 6, 2007 14:44:35 GMT -5
well kc that is different though. Georgetown has to go through the city zonign stuff in addition to getting ANC approval. Which i think is completely bogus. I mean if i'm buildign that addition onto my house does the guy who lives two houses over get a say in whether or not i can build that addition? I agree that the ANCsystem is stupid, antequated, etc. However, there are positives to having public comment on building and development projects. Say some developer is proposing a three-phase, 5000 lot subdivision just down the road from you. I assume you'd like to have some input on whether that gets approved. Now, most public comments, in my experience, boil down to NIMBY, I have mine but you can't have yours, type of comments. Ideally the board/commission/etc. should be able to weed out the legitimate comments from the others. However, that's not usually the case.
|
|
kchoya
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Enter your message here...
Posts: 9,934
|
Post by kchoya on Jul 6, 2007 14:56:10 GMT -5
That's true. But there should be a strict series of guidlines that they have to follow, like you can only reject an idea if you cna proove it negatively affects the community. and perhaps there should be an impartial decisions. For all i know this probably exists. But the amount of power the ANC wields is ridiculous. I'll defer to my DC friend hoyatables on this one, but I assume there are some guidelines for ANC decisions and if they make an "arbitrary and capricious"decision, they can be reversed.
|
|
hoyatables
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 2,604
|
Post by hoyatables on Jul 8, 2007 21:10:41 GMT -5
That's true. But there should be a strict series of guidlines that they have to follow, like you can only reject an idea if you cna proove it negatively affects the community. and perhaps there should be an impartial decisions. For all i know this probably exists. But the amount of power the ANC wields is ridiculous. I'll defer to my DC friend hoyatables on this one, but I assume there are some guidelines for ANC decisions and if they make an "arbitrary and capricious"decision, they can be reversed. First, ANC's have the right to review EVERY zoning decision, ABC decision, permit, and other agency decision. Second, while ANC's have the right to review all those agency decisions, their review and recommendation is just that, a recommendation. It does not have any decisive effect. Agencies such as the ABC, Zoning Commission, and BZA are not bound by the ANC's decision. Third, the ANC's vote and recommendation has what is called "great weight". Agencies are required to give the ANC's vote "great weight" -- what this means is that the agency must explicitly consider the ANC's position, even if it disagrees with the ANC's position. In sum, the ANC plays an important role. They possess significant political power, and an agency's failure to given them great weight provides grounds for an appeal of that agency decision. I think it's erroneous to say the ANC wields an inordinate amount of power, however, because in reality they don't wield much actual decisionmaking power. I should also point out that one of the two links I posted was for the Old Georgetown Board. The Old Georgetown Board only has limited design review. OGB is a federal agency, not a local one, and is tied to the Commission of Fine Arts. For more, visit www.cfa.gov.
|
|
hoyatables
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 2,604
|
Post by hoyatables on Jul 8, 2007 21:13:58 GMT -5
well kc that is different though. Georgetown has to go through the city zonign stuff in addition to getting ANC approval. Which i think is completely bogus. I mean if i'm buildign that addition onto my house does the guy who lives two houses over get a say in whether or not i can build that addition? I agree that the ANCsystem is stupid, antequated, etc. However, there are positives to having public comment on building and development projects. Say some developer is proposing a three-phase, 5000 lot subdivision just down the road from you. I assume you'd like to have some input on whether that gets approved. Now, most public comments, in my experience, boil down to NIMBY, I have mine but you can't have yours, type of comments. Ideally the board/commission/etc. should be able to weed out the legitimate comments from the others. However, that's not usually the case. I agree that there are positives to having public comment and review, and I also agree that many ANCs are capable of mediating the truly local NIMBY conflicts between neighbors and even between neighbors and developers or institutions.
|
|
hoyatables
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 2,604
|
Post by hoyatables on Sept 6, 2007 6:59:21 GMT -5
More on the Science Center: www.georgetownvoice.com/2007-09-06/news/building-bluesNaturally, the Voice is just wrong. A LEED Silver rating is NOT the lowest rating. Far from it. Actually, the lowest rating would be not to go for a rating at all. And there is still just play ol' LEED certification. LEED Silver is the next rung (above it is gold and platinum). There are very few LEED buildings in the city, and not many that are currently under construction or being planned. This is a significant commitment by the University.
|
|
|
Post by TrueHoyaBlue on Sept 6, 2007 8:16:23 GMT -5
I saw that and was thinking the same thing.
|
|
hoyatables
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 2,604
|
Post by hoyatables on Sept 6, 2007 8:57:57 GMT -5
I saw that and was thinking the same thing. The "journalist" also failed to mention that other future University projects were discussed and presented at the ANC meeting. Maybe the Hoya or the Current will provide us with a better summary.
|
|
|
Post by strummer8526 on Sept 6, 2007 9:09:16 GMT -5
Sorry I'm in a rush and haven't read the whole thread so this might not be original BUT...
Is it just me or does this seem like it was obstruct the Leavey Esplanade's view of Healey/Copley? I still obviously support such improvements, and I kind of like the little quad it creates. But that's just a kind of minor thing. I love good views.
|
|
|
Post by Coast2CoastHoya on Sept 6, 2007 10:05:54 GMT -5
More on the Science Center: www.georgetownvoice.com/2007-09-06/news/building-bluesNaturally, the Voice is just wrong. A LEED Silver rating is NOT the lowest rating. Far from it. Actually, the lowest rating would be not to go for a rating at all. And there is still just play ol' LEED certification. LEED Silver is the next rung (above it is gold and platinum). There are very few LEED buildings in the city, and not many that are currently under construction or being planned. This is a significant commitment by the University. I was going to say the same thing. I applaud the university's efforts to get the new building LEED Silver rated, especially with limited resources. I was down at the EPA for a climate change symposium the other day, and their Crystal City building is LEED Silver. Simply put, it is AMAZING and a major step forward in cost-saving, environmentally conscious building; i.e. a great example of how being "green" also saves you a lot of "the other green" in the long run. I was really hoping that the new building would replace the "bio in Reiss, chem in White-Graveor" model that currently exists. Any word or thoughts on that? I'll also echo what DFW said about GU needing more sciences, and expand that a little bit to more course offerings in general. I know, I know it's hard with limited student body, money, faculty, etc. but it's LUDICROUS that environmental studies is still only a minor, for example. As for strummer85's concern about the view ... that was already ruined when they took out the baseball field and put in a parking lot.
|
|
|
Post by TrueHoyaBlue on Sept 6, 2007 10:23:23 GMT -5
Format has been talked about a bit, but I think the new building will house bio, chem, and related, while Reiss -- which will undergo serious renovations upon completion of the new building -- will be used for physics, math and computer science. college.georgetown.edu/research/science/30642.html
|
|