FARMINGTON — When students return to University of Maine at Farmington this fall, they will find Preble Hall, home of UMF’s Department of Natural Sciences, is greener. Targeted renovations of the building are focusing on providing students with advanced science facilities to meet the needs of today’s technology, while also shrinking the university’s carbon footprint. 

Built in 1961, Preble Hall houses science labs, classrooms and offices for the university’s biology, chemistry and physics programs. Modifications to the 42,730-square-foot building began earlier this summer and are expected to be completed by the end of August.

Changes will include upgrading chemistry labs to facilitate modern scientific investigation methods; renovating the exterior window wall on the south side of the building to improve energy efficiency; and preparing the heating system for a change over to geothermal later this fall. 

Theodora J. Kalikow, UMF president, said, “We’re going to be leaner and greener. These facility updates are a sustainable investment in our most important product-student learning.” 

Upon completion, the second-floor chemistry labs will increase in size by 95 square fee, improving handicapped accessibility and overall storage. Work surfaces and layout will be refitted to meet the demands of advanced scientific instruments. Additionally, high-efficiency heating and ventilation systems, including state-of-the-art fume hoods, will be installed. 

Among the most visible changes, will be the replacement of the building’s south-side exterior wall and installation of energy-efficient windows. The structure will feature a continuous surface of two-inch rigid insulation placed on vertical steel studs. 

Preble Hall’s heating system is being modified during the renovations in preparation for a changeover to a new closed-loop, geothermal-based system later this fall. At that time, 29 wells will be drilled in close proximity to the building to provide high-efficiency, environmentally-friendly heating and cooling to all of Preble Hall, including Thomas Auditorium. 

The modifications have been paid for with funds from the state bond referendum for building renovations passed in 2007 and some additional UMF and University of Maine System resources. 

For more information on UMF’s science majors, visit http://www.farmington.edu/majors/science.php.