5 minute read
Building Excellence Together
Hard hats and Magnificat facial coverings were available to guests to safely tour the construction zone.
Dear Friends of Magnificat:
What an exciting summer it has been! Construction began on the new Sisters of the Humility of Mary Center for Science Exploration & Innovation on Monday, May 4, 2020; and by the time you receive this magazine, students will be learning across the scientific disciplines in these inspiring new spaces! On June 16, as walls began to be constructed in the new science center, donors donned their Magnificat facial coverings and hard hats and had an opportunity to tour the construction zone, see the early stages of the transformation, and “leave their mark” for generations of Magnificat scientists to come. We are grateful to everyone who celebrated the occasion with us, we are grateful to the many donors who made the Center for Science Exploration & Innovation a reality for Magnificat students, and we look forward to a strong finish for the final phase of the Building Excellence Together campaign. We hope you enjoy the next few pages of the magazine, which will demonstrate the monumental amount of work done by our construction team at Regency Construction Services. The transformation of Magnificat’s science spaces is remarkable, and we look forward to the scientific investigation and discovery that will take place in our innovative, collaborative, flexible new spaces. Sincerely,
Ann Litzler Coyne ’88
Terry Coyne
Caroline Lee Joe Lee
Top: Representatives from Regency Construction Services, Inc. review blueprints with Science Department Chair, Mrs. Lori Koss. Bottom: Former Magnificat Principal and President, Sr. Carol Anne Smith, HM, leaves her mark on the new science center.
Top: Building Excellence Together Co-Chair Ann Litzler Coyne ’88 leaves her message for Magnificat scientists in the new science center. Middle: Honorary Building Excellence Together Co-Chair, Jan Duffy Leitch ’68 hopes students will magnify their gifts as they investigate the sciences in the new science center. Bottom: President Moira Clark ’77 left an inspiring message in the new Center for Science Exploration & Innovation.
Transformation Complete: Introducing the Sisters of the Humility of Mary Center for Science Exploration & Innovation
Due to the cancelation of in-person classes for the remainder of the school year by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine on April 20, construction of the new Sisters of the Humility of Mary Center for Science & Innovation was able to begin almost a month earlier than originally planned. On Monday, May 4, Regency Construction Services, Inc. arrived, and construction began. As the largest female-owned construction company in the state of Ohio, Regency was selected for the project because of their commitment to empowering women in business at every level of the company. To achieve the open, collaborative, flexible spaces in the plans for the new science center that resulted from the research and visioning process Fielding International (formerly Fielding Nair International) conducted with students, alumnae, faculty, and Board members, walls that had been on the second floor of Magnificat since the structure was built were demolished, and ceilings were removed. Regency Project Superintendent, Ed Repjar, said that despite a few surprises, like finding old, plaster ceiling tiles above the ceiling grids on the first floor which had to be removed in order for plumbing and electrical work to be completed, Magnificat was in good shape given its age. “We were pleasantly surprised by the good condition of the existing structures after we completed abatement and demo,” he said. Repjar orchestrated the work of more than 10 trades through demolition and abatement, upgrading electrical systems and plumbing, installing and finishing walls and flooring, and fire protection to bring the vision of the plans for the Center for Science & Innovation to life. During the second-floor transformation, thick brick, locker-lined walls were exchanged for glass windows allowing natural light to flow through; and individual lab classrooms were replaced with spaces that flow into each other to encourage truly interdisciplinary scientific exploration. Many of the lab stations from the original science classrooms were repurposed in order to limit the amount of new material, and all other materials were recycled or will be reused for new builds at other sites. “The completion of the Center for Science & Innovation will usher in a new era for the sciences at Magnificat,” said President Moira Clark ’77. “We are grateful for the hard work of our friends at Regency and for the generosity of the Magnificat community for making this dream a reality for our students.”
Looking from east to west in the new Center for Science Exploration & Innovation.
Looking east to west in the second floor hallway.
Walls were removed on the north side of the hallway to make way for the new, connected, collaborative science learning environment. Mrs. Shannon McCale '96 supervises students calculating speed in the new physics lab.
Students experiment with robotics coding in the new Learning Commons.
The new Learning Commons.
Under the guidance of Mrs. Dagmar Kubasek, students observe microorganisms in one of four new Interdisciplinary Labs.
