The Renovation

The college embarked on a major renovation of Marston Hall that began in the summer of 2014 and was completed for the start of the 2016 fall semester.

The project removed 75% of interior building structure – all interior bearing walls except for select sections on east side of corridor. At one point, the building had a canyon running through it that ran from basement to roof that separated the rotunda (auditorium section) from the rest of the building at the stairwells. The roof and exterior walls were all that held the building structure together.

The project to renovate Marston Hall is the first project on campus to have an all-female team – the project architect, project engineer, and project manager for Iowa State were all women, working with the first female dean of Engineering. The design team, comprised of four Iowa firms, had more than 12 ISU alumni working on the design of the building.

The project was designed and constructed under LEED principles and will achieve a LEED Gold certification. More than 3,200 tons of debris was recycled during the renovation resulting in a 97% diversion rate from the landfill.

December 2015

October 2015

Marston Artifacts

During the recent renovations, several artifacts have been uncovered.

Interior demolition begins

The renovation begins

VIDEO: The Renovation of Marston Hall

Watch Dean Sarah Rajala and others talk about the importance of the Marston Hall renovation project.