To the Editor:

We, the undersigned faculty members from the Department of Architecture, wish to make the following public statements in support of the immediate construction Milstein Hall:

1. This is a building that is urgently needed by the department in order to maintain our accreditations as a professional school of architecture. This has been stated explicitly in a letter to President Skorton from the National Architecture Accreditation Board dated Nov. 25, 2008 in which the Board cites the continued lack of “appropriate physical resources appropriate for a professional degree program in architecture,” and the continued postponement of renovations to existing facilities to ensure “compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and applicable building codes.”

2. This is a building project which will enable our primary studio building, Rand Hall, to finally become compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

3. This is a building whose major programmatic elements, including a specific type of studio space, which might best be characterized as a laboratory, an auditorium for large classes and public lectures, and design review and exhibition areas, all fulfill essential needs and programmatic functions for the Department of Architecture.

4. This is a building whose design leaves intact Rand Hall, whereas all previous schemes that have been developed for this project have proposed tearing down this perfectly functional building before then rebuilding its square footage — surely in a true accounting of ecological impact this fact alone would be worth several additional levels of certification if the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) objectives were more broadly considered.

5. This is a building whose design saves money by leaving in place Rand Hall. To have torn this building down, as previous schemes for this project have proposed, only to replace that same square footage before then adding on to it would have obviously dramatically increased the total project cost. In this sense, the design is highly efficient in only adding what is necessary, not first rebuilding the existing.

6. This is a building whose cost will ultimately be borne mostly by the College of AAP and its benefactors. And while we are certainly well aware of the University’s current financial difficulties, to be fairly stated, the construction of Milstein Hall will cause no more impact on this situation than its own relatively small proportional share in comparison to all the other buildings that have been built around campus recently. The building permit is in hand, bids have been reconciled, and it is, in today’s parlance, shovel-ready. Given the current low cost of materials and competitive bidding situation, to delay construction of Milstein Hall yet again will only add to its cost.

7. This is a building whose construction will provide a much-needed economic stimulus to the broader Ithaca community; rather than cost jobs, it will create desperately needed employment.

8. This is a building whose design has been presented to the University and Ithaca communities in a proactive fashion at multiple public presentations and working sessions over the past two years. During this time, significant modifications to the design have been made at considerable additional cost to the project in response to comments that have been made. It has most recently been the subject of public hearings at the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission and at the Ithaca City Planning Board and has been endorsed by those two entities.

9. This is a building whose unique and functional design we respect and admire and stand firmly behind.

We are especially grateful for the administration’s support of architecture in recognizing the urgency of our situation and for prioritizing this project in these difficult times.

Prof. Mark Cruvellier, chair of the Department of Architecture

Prof. Werner Goehner, architecture

Prof. George Hascup, architecture

Prof. Andrea Simitch, architecture

Prof. Arthur Ovaska, architecture

Prof. Milton Curry, architecture

Prof. Lily Chi, architecure

Prof. John Zissovici, architecture

Prof. Kevin Pratt, architecture

Prof. Henry Richardson, architecture

Prof. Mary Woods, architecture

Prof. Vincent Mulcahy, architecture

Prof. Bonnie MacDougall, architecture

Dean of Students Kent Hubbell ’67, professor of architecture