Miller Hall originated as the "Campus Elementary School" in 1943. It was designed by Bebb and Gould and served as a teacher training school with primary and middle school students. In 1967, the school was closed. An addition was constructed and existing spaces were reconfigured for academic instruction. The facility was renamed "Miller Hall" in honor of Irving E. Miller, a longtime Western faculty member who was nationally recognized for his expertise in teacher education. Currently, Miller Hall's primary occupants are Woodring College of Education and the Psychology Department.
Due to its historical significance, its prominent location in the heart of campus and its need for building system upgrades, Miller Hall was selected to undergo a major renovation. The predesign study was completed in 2004; the project is now in design with construction anticipated to begin in early spring 2009. Some exploratory work will take place as early as December 2008.
The renovation will provide general University classrooms, computer labs, instructional space, offices and support facilities for Woodring College of Education and the Department of Modern and Classical Languages. (The Psychology Department moves to the new Academic Instruction Center during winter break of 2008.) This renovation will replace numerous aging building systems, provide improved disabled access to classrooms, labs and offices, and provide for reprogramming of academic spaces.
This is the first project that Western will utilize the "general contractor/construction manager procedure" (GC/CM), an alternative construction process. "GC/CM is a competitive process for awarding a contract for a single firm to provide services during the design phase as well as acting as both the construction manager and general contractor during the construction phase of a public works project with a relative high cost. The general contractor guarantees the project budget under this procedure."* This process allows the GC/CM contractor to join the project team during early design and contribute expertise to manage complex projects. Dawson Construction of Bellingham has been selected as the General Contractor Construction Manager (GC/CM). Mahlum Architects of Seattle is the architect.
*House Bill Report HB1070, effective June 8, 2000
