Rice University Maxfield Hall Restoration

The Mechanical Laboratory, one of the first buildings constructed on the Rice University campus, has been renovated and restored as the new LEED Gold certified Maxfield Hall. The building is the new home for the Department of Statistics, formerly housed in Duncan Hall, and is the solution to an ever-growing demand for more space for the faculty and students.

Floor space in the renovated building is 21,751 square feet. The interior includes two new classrooms, faculty and staff offices, a conference room and huddle rooms, as well as two elevators with access to the basement and first and second floors. The exterior was preserved and two new egress stair enclosures and a new ADA-compliant access ramp were added. The building’s HVAC and electrical systems have been modernized, and the building is now fully equipped with sprinklers for fire protection. The basement, formerly unused except for storage, has been fully renovated with three huddle rooms. All historic windows were refurbished, all offices now have windows, and lighting throughout the building has been updated to LED. The dropped ceiling was removed, revealing the original vaulted ceiling in the large classroom on the second floor.