Smith Hall is being transformed into the new home for communications, media arts and teaching excellence.
A renovation and addition is breathing new life into TU’s former science building, Smith Hall. The project will renovate the building’s west wing and reconstruct the east wing to create a modern, 200,000 gross square foot learning facility.
Once complete, it will house TU’s mass communication, communication studies and electronic media and film departments, bringing College of Fine Arts and Communications programs together to expand interdisciplinary opportunities for students. The building will also be the new home of the Faculty Academic Center of Excellence at Towson (FACET).
The building also highlights specialty spaces to advance programmatic study including:
The renderings show a glass and terracotta exterior offering views into the state-of-the-art learning environments inside. The renovations provide areas to inspire cretaivity, collaboration, and learning for students both on the inside of the building and outside as well.
This Smith Hall renovation rendering gives the campus community a look at the 200,000-square-foot building from another major angle. The space will soon house TU's mass communication, communication studies and electronic media and film programs.
“ We’re completely reinventing the building to house innovative spaces for hands-on learning. ”
Glen Drive is closed at Van Bokkelen Hall to allow for construction vehicle access. The parking lot adjacent to Van Bokkelen is closed to enable construction vehicles to turn around. Accessible parking and short-term loading/unloading spaces are available behind Stephens Hall and along Glen Drive.
The sidewalk directly adjacent to Smith Hall is closed for the duration of the project. Students can detour on the lower walkway toward Hawkins Hall. See the project map for details and accessible pathways.
If you have limited mobility and are having difficulty getting around the project, call 410-704-RIDE (7433). A TU paratransit will help get you where you need to go.
- 9/5/23
What's new on campus for fall - 8/21/23
- 7/24/23
The project has two major phases. The first phase will remove and replace the east wing of the building (also known as “Old Smith Hall”) with a more functional space that accommodates the unique needs of communications and media arts programs. The newly constructed wing will have a slightly different footprint, extending toward the Lecture Hall and opening up the quad in the center of campus.
The second phase will renovate the west wing of the building nearest the Glen Towers. Key project milestones are provided in the timeline below.
| Dates | Milestones |
|---|---|
| Spring 2024 – Summer 2024 | East Smith deconstruction |
| Summer 2024 – February 2027 | East Smith construction; west Smith renovation |
| February 2027 | Completion |
Communications Studies chair Jennifer Potter received the Excellence in Mentoring Award from University System of Maryland.
The changes support the university’s steps toward achieving a Carnegie Research Classification of R2: Doctoral University.
Daniel Kundrat finds his calling in TU's electronic media and film department.
