This fall, Catawba College welcomes a brand-new terrace to the campus. Located between the Hedrick Administration Building and the Cannon Student Center, the terrace is now available for all to enjoy. This addition is an area where students and faculty can spend time relaxing or studying outside. The terrace also improves campus aesthetic by creating a welcoming outdoor space.

President Brian Lewis wanted to make the space behind the Administration Building the heart of the campus. Lewis says “I hope to spend more time out there in the future and I hope it will be used for many events, concerts, and other occasions.” He has hopes that the terrace will improve the look and feel of the campus, as well as making it safer for Emergency Medical Service (EMS) vehicles to access the Student Center. “The new cul-de-sacs make it much easier to bring vehicles in to load and unload at S-R, B-Z, Admin, and the Student Center as there is more room to turn around in,” Lewis adds.

Frannie Taylor, head of the campus project department, explains that EMS vehicles were unable to drive behind the administration building before the terrace. “This space had originally been a coal pit that supplied fuel to heat the [Administration] building in the 1920s,” Taylor says. She explains that driving over this pit would threaten the rear structure of the building being that the space was unable to support the necessary weight.

President Lewis explains that he had wanted to initiate change in the Administration building when he first joined Catawba in 2012. “My concept was that visitors would come in, be
welcomed, have their admissions presentation, and then begin their tour by coming out of the back door and being on a terrace in the heart of campus,” he explains. The first step towards accomplishing this goal was to move the president’s office to a suite near the entry of the Administration Building and allow the old office area to house Admissions. The Admissions area now accommodates reception, offices, conference areas, a waiting area and some view of the new terrace area. The terrace is now handicap accessible from the Administration Building to the new terrace area with illuminated railing for nighttime safety.

“The revival of the fountain is a part of the terrace project,” Taylor says. Previously, there had been a fountain in front of the Student Center in Stanback Plaza. During the time that the fountain was out of service, it was used as a planter. “Two thousand pounds of dirt had to be removed,” Taylor explains, adding that this dirt was repurposed in different parts of the campus to give new plants healthy soil. “Most liberal arts colleges have a fountain on campus. [Catawba] happens to have two,” Taylor adds.

Construction on the terrace began in early winter of 2016 and was finished early spring of 2017. Funding for the terrace project was made possible by an anonymous donor. The construction for this project included laying brick pavers, creating two cul-de-sacs, restoring the fountain, as well as creating a patio area and installing steps. The patio section now includes umbrella tables and chairs for student and faculty use.

President Lewis hopes that “the terrace will improve Catawba’s campus for visitors and students alike.” So, between classes, be sure to stop and appreciate the fall weather and enjoy the heart of campus!