Humanities Hall ready to welcome students

Clemson University students attending classes for Fall 2022 will do so in a brand-new facility at the heart of campus: Humanities Hall.

The 52,633-square-foot facility is part of the larger Daniel Hall Renovation and Expansion, which is geared toward meeting the needs of the University’s growing student body. The building underscores Clemson’s commitment to the development of students as learners, thinkers and leaders.

“The humanities and the arts are the repositories of the collected wisdom from thousands of years of effort by humans to understand the world and their place in it,” said Nicholas Vazsonyi, dean of the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities. “Having a dedicated space where people can gather to teach, learn and discuss those lessons is fundamental to the mission of a great university.”

In addition to 12 new classrooms ranging in size from 18 to 72 seats, the building also boasts a 250-seat lecture hall, a debate lab, four offices, two conference rooms and eight “collaboration spaces” where students can study and congregate between classes.

Humanities Hall will also be the new home of the Pearce Center for Professional Communication. Formerly located in Daniel Hall, the Pearce Center offers undergraduate client-based internships, professional development for graduate teaching assistants and faculty writing workshops. The Center also has plans for a revitalized professional editing service and recently introduced a new Visual Information Design internship to help Clemson students with visual projects.

While Humanities Hall is open to start the 2022-2023 school year, Daniel Hall will remain closed for its renovation, which is scheduled for completion by Fall 2023. The renovation includes modernization and upgrades for each of the four-story building’s learning spaces as well as an addition near the Reflecting Pool which will include a new, enclosed stairwell and collaborative spaces. Daniel Hall renovation plans also include the addition of a new P.O.D. (Provisions On Demand) Market on the first floor. At completion, both buildings will be connected by a third-floor skywalk to allow students easy access between classes.

The expansion and renovation has been led by Holder Construction with engineering and project management overseen by alumni of Clemson’s College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities. The building was designed by the architecture firm of Lord Aeck Sargent with landscape architecture by Koons Environmental Design Inc., civil engineering by Dutton Engineering, structural engineering by MMSA Engineering, mechanical, electrical and plumbing by RMF Engineering Inc. and audio-visual engineering by BrightTree Studios.

“Humanities Hall is a special build for Clemson’s campus,” said Edwin Medrano, assistant superintendent of the project for Holder Construction. “The building is oriented to face the Tillman Hall clock tower, and windows provide a beautiful view from the third floor of the new building, the coming pedestrian bridge and the future addition to Daniel Hall.”

“Humanities Hall has ‘Sage Glass’ technology on the west elevations that will tint as the sun begins to set,” Medrano added. “The open-aired, natural light also allows the new build to have a more collaborative and inviting environment for students to learn and hang out in.”

The humanities program at Clemson currently includes four departments: English, History and Geography, Languages, and Philosophy and Religion. Humanities Hall will primarily serve the needs of students in English and modern languages courses, while history, geography, philosophy and religion courses will continue to be centered in historic Hardin Hall.