Campus Construction Highlights

Our campus is in the midst of a transformative period. Our community is laying the groundwork for spaces and infrastructure that will allow us to live into our mission to educate the whole person and steward our resources toward a more sustainable future. 

As you walk the grounds, you’ll see work underway that supports a variety of projects, from the College’s bold vision for realizing its goal of carbon neutrality by 2035, To Zero By Thirty-Five, to the transformation of Martin Hall into an interdisciplinary hub for art and technology. These exciting and necessary projects will have a wide-reaching and long-standing impact on our community. Explore the resources below to learn more about some of the most critical and innovative work happening at Swarthmore.

To Zero By Thirty-Five

To Zero By Thirty-Five is Swarthmore’s bold vision for realizing its goal of carbon neutrality by 2035 by moving the College away from fossil fuel combustion and toward greater use of renewable energy. In 2025, work is underway on site preparations for a well field in front of Parrish Hall and McCabe Library that will be part of Swarthmore's new geoexchange system.

Martin Hall Renovations and Repurposing

Martin will be transformed into an interdisciplinary, technological center for the entire campus community and include a vibrant social space, a production studio, a screening room, editing suites, computer science labs, and an outdoor Arts Plaza connecting LPAC and Lang Music Buildings. The building will house the Computer Science and Film and Media Studies departments as well as the Media Center, and construction is expected to be complete in time for the Fall 2025 semester. 

  • Well Drilling Starting Summer 2025

    This spring, we will begin preparing both Clothier Lawn and the lawn in front of McCabe for a second round of well drilling, which will begin this June after Alumni Weekend. Although we anticipate drilling will need to continue into the start of the fall semester, this schedule will allow for the majority of the work to take place during the summer, when campus life is slightly slower.

    Site preparations will include fence installation, topsoil stripping, water mitigation, sound mitigation, and the preservation of heritage trees in the area. Sound barriers will be placed around the entire perimeter of the drilling sites, including the sides directly facing Magill Walk, which should significantly improve the experience of walking through the area during construction.

    McCabe Library

  • Moving Through Campus

    During site preparations and eventually as wells are being drilled, there will be an impact on campus pathways throughout the area. While all ADA paths will remain open, other paths that run perpendicular to Magill Walk will be closed. To accommodate pedestrian traffic, a new temporary pathway will be put in place to facilitate access from Mertz Hall to the Dining and Community Commons during construction. 

    Dining Center Exterior

Renovating Ben West House

Renovations to Ben West house will begin in February 2025 and run through early in the Fall 2025 semester. Updates will be made to the interior of the building, and a new addition will create more space to support Public Safety programming. From February through August 2025, Public Safety’s communications center and offices will be temporarily located in Bond Hall. 

ben west house