It seems only fitting that the Franklin & Marshall College football team practices in the shadow of the campus' massive, new Life Sciences Building — which is, as F&M President John A. Fry likes to point out, almost the length of a football field.

Completed this summer, the $49 million, three-story, Colonial Revival brick-and-limestone structure is the largest capital project in the school's history by a hefty margin. Known as the Ann & Richard Barshinger Life Sciences & Philosophy Building, it houses the biology, philosophy and psychology departments, and will be brimming with students and faculty when fall-semester classes start Wednesday.

In addition to offices, classrooms and research labs, the 104,000-square-foot edifice features lounge and study areas, a top-floor greenhouse, a three-story atrium, a state-of-the-art lecture room, and a commons room that opens to a philosophy garden.

Support from many quarters
Colonial Revival "is the predominant [architectural] style on campus," Fry said last week during a tour of the grand structure; he called it a larger version of the old Fackenthal science building designed by architect Charles Klauder, who did a lot a work for F&M in the 1920 and '30s.

Though the project ended up costing $49 million, more than $50 million was raised, and the extra money was used "to clean up the public environment to a higher level," Fry said, by adding better lighting, for example.

Construction began in December 2005 and was finished this month.

The biggest financial contributions were $11.5 million from Ann Barshinger, widow of Richard Barshinger, and $10 million from the state. But plenty of others were instrumental, too, Fry said, including alumnus Jay Cook, a Wrightsville resident who paid for the slate roof.

In addition, "many, many, many Lancastrians supported this project," he said.

"The support locally was tremendous."

Fry stressed that the Life Sciences Building will host many college functions, as well as events open to the public. "It'll be broadly used by our entire community," he said.

Just inside the main entrance is the spacious, multi-story Frey Atrium, with large windows that bring in abundant natural light. It was donated by alumnus Dale Frey and his wife, Betty Ann. Frey is chairman of the college's board of trustees.

The atrium will be ideal for receptions, Fry said.

Also on the first floor is the Bonchek Lecture Hall, given by Dr. Lawrence Bonchek, a retired cardiothoracic surgeon, and his wife, Rita. It seats about 120 and features a state-of-the-art audio and visual system that's operated at the touch of a button. The hall can accommodate that many people because some of the seats fold up against the wall.

Down a hallway, on the south side of the building, is the Druker Humanities Common, donated by alumnus Ronald Druker and his family. It's highlighted by cherry floors, a gas fireplace, and chandeliers. "It has a formal air but will be used informally," Fry said.

Several glass doors lead to the Stutzman Memorial Garden; when the weather's seasonable, the doors will be left open, he said.

The garden, like a mini park, includes wood benches, a brick fence, boxwoods and perennials. It was donated by alumnus Jake Stutzman, who recently died, in honor of his late wife.

The elevator also has an important component for a structure housing the sciences: "It's designed to stay closed if someone's carrying dangerous chemicals," said Suzanne Morris, director of the office of capital program management at F&M, who accompanied Fry on the tour.

On the second floor, Fry and Morris showed off faculty research labs, with a student write-up room in between. That layout enhances student-faculty collaboration, Fry said. "It's almost tutorial-type learning."

Each of the three departments has a lounge and a kitchenette, Morris said. The building boasts plenty of "hang-out spaces" for students and faculty, Fry said.

Morris said the teaching labs "are tailored to the course being taught there." The anatomy one on the second floor, for example, has downdrafts to disperse the smell of formaldehyde. That lab also features an adjustable lab bench for a student who uses a wheelchair.

Near the lab is a storage room filled with all manner of small skeletons, which prompts "a lot of skeleton-in-the-closet jokes," Morris said.

In addition, the second floor houses the Argires Neuroscience Teaching Laboratory, donated by local neurosurgeon Dr. James Argires and his wife, Tasia, and the biology faculty lounge, given by Fry and his wife, Cara, in honor of her father, Dr. Albert Keegan.

The third floor includes the Eyler Biochemistry Center, donated bythe estate of Dr. Paul Eyler, an F&M alumnus who was a director of radiology at Lancaster General Hospital. LGH, too, has sponsored a teaching lab and instrument rooms in the new building.

At the south end of the floor is the Steinman Plant Growth Facility, a greenhouse that will be an instructional and research space. It's underwritten by Caroline Steinman Nunan, a director of Lancaster Newspapers Inc., publisher of the Sunday News; the James Hale Steinman Foundation; and the John Frederick Steinman Foundation. Mrs. Nunan also is an emeritus member of the board of trustees at F&M.

The greenhouse will sometimes be lit at night, Fry said, creating a dazzling campus focal point.

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Paula Wolf is a staff writer for the Sunday News. She can be reached by e-mail at pwolf@lnpnews.com.