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New Arts Building Planned

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Speciíications were approved in outline form by the Washtenaw Community College trustees last night for a Graphic Arts Instruction Building that would add 81,940. to WCC's 97,000 square feet of instructional and library space. The proposed two-story structure would be on the northeast portion of WCC's campus, linked at its second level with this existing Technical and Industrial Building. Courses in construction technology, technical and commercial art, commercial photography, graphics, and fine arts drawing and design, would be moved to the proposed structure and expanded in some cases, freeing more space in the Technical and Industrial Building for industrial drafting, ics, metallurgical technology, and other courses. Architect Peter Tarapata of Tarapata-MacMahon-Paulson described the proposed structure as essentially "a series of loft spaces which can be partitioned off ... It would be highly flexible." Andrew F. Ford, director of WCC's Technical and Industrial division, emphasized that the proposed structure is intended to accommodate laboratory work in "all trends in the construction industry," both in residential and commercial construction. He added that the latter is an area "not all instructional programs are oriented toward." The trustees' approval of the outline specifications qualifies WCC for $15,000 from the state for design work ed so far on the proposed building. But it provides no assurance as to when or if the state will grant WCC's further application for about two-thirds of the total project cost, estimated by Tarapata as about $3,258,000. President David H. Ponitz noted that WCC is attempting to hold each of its major construction projects at a level of about $3 million. The architect said it would be desirable if state officials enable WCC to take construction bids soon, because bids for s o m e comparable buildings recently have been "phenomenally low." Design work yet to be done on the proposed WCC structure includes determining whether its exterior would be brick or poured concrete.