On Nov. 19, Smith College announced the incoming addition of Kathleen McCartney Hall to campus. Expected to be finished by the summer of 2025, the building will be located at the intersection of College Lane and Chapin Way, serving as a new home to two centers: the Wurtele Center and the Lazarus Center.
The Wurtele Center, currently located at 146 Elm Street, is the center for student leadership. It offers a variety of learning experiences — including workshops, programs and talks — for students to develop their skills in collaboration and leadership. Located at 84 Elm Street, the Lazarus Center is the center for career development. Its services support students and graduates as they connect their Smith degrees to their professional goals.
Faculty from the two centers were heavily involved in the design process of their new shared home.
“From the beginning, we were invited to early design meetings with the architects,” said Erin Cohn ’00, Director of the Wurtele Center. “We shared what kind of programming we do now, and how we imagine the programming might transform in a new space.”
“Some aspects of the design process were predetermined like the site of the building, but we were involved in all of the other design elements,” said Faith McClellan, Dean of Career Development at the Lazarus Center. “It was important to us that students were also involved in the design process. We held feedback sessions with students and the architectural team – and students highlighted three priorities which were really similar to our own, and those were: accessibility, inclusivity and sustainability.”
The new building will have three floors, all of which will be shared by both centers. The third floor will feature a roof terrace overlooking Paradise Pond. The terrace will provide an additional place for Smithies to enjoy the pond on campus, says Cohn.
According to Rachel Prehodka-Spindel ’11, Director of Operations at the Lazarus Center, the architecture of Kathleen McCartney Hall demonstrates a commitment to universal design. “The architects have really focused on pathways through the building that are universally accessible,” said Prehodka-Spindel. “This is one of the first designs on campus that won’t have a staircase somewhere outside.”
Kathleen McCartney Hall will not only improve resources by the Wurtele and Lazarus Center; it will also establish new ones.
“Right now, when we teach classes or we hold events or we do workshops, we’re always in other spaces. This will allow us to host those in a space that is really dedicated to that work,” said Cohn.
The new building will offer a collaborative classroom dedicated to the Wurtele Center containing a vast array of supplies that can be used by the academic classes held there, as well as by student groups who want to use the space.
“From the beginning, we have been really clear that we want it to be the most amazing collaborative learning space they could possibly make it — since that’s what’s core to what’s important at Wurtele,” said Cohn.
In its new location, the Lazarus Center will adopt a space dedicated to its “Suit Yourself” program, which provides a variety of business casual and business formal attire for students to borrow. There will also be a wide range of bookable spaces, including meeting and interview rooms, according to McClellan.
Although the two centers are distinct in purpose, the shared space is expected to highlight connections between leadership and professional development that will ultimately serve students.
“I think it’s helpful to have those two centers co-located in the new building because we can help students make connections across what we’re doing with students here — and what comes next,” said Cohn.
“The Lazarus and Wurtele Centers have already been collaborating on several projects, and we’re really excited to see how the building is going to deepen that synergy,” said McClellan.
Throughout the design process, efforts were made to preserve the distinct identities of the two centers within a shared location. According to Prehodka-Spindel, there will be visual markers throughout the building to highlight which space belongs to what center.
Hopefully, by the summer of 2025, Kathleen McCartney Hall will be open for students to forge their paths at Smith and beyond.
