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Houghton College announced plans today (please note the date) to build a biodome over its entire campus. College officials said that they based the idea on an aircraft hangar at an old Soviet military air base near Berlin in Krausnick, Germany, that was converted into a tropical resort of about 194 million cubic feet. Because Houghton is located in decidedly nontropical upstate New York (the college is southeast of Buffalo and southwest of Rochester), support for the idea grew. Under the biodome, the college's temperature will be 74 degrees year-round.
"Each winter, the college spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on snow removal along with the salting and clearing of ice from roads and walkways," said a statement from the college. "The employee overtime and supply costs are a tremendous strain on the college. The new dome will alleviate the majority of these costs, allowing the institution to refocus these budget allocations to bolster the academic experience." The cost of the project is expected to be $84 million, of which the college is today announcing an anonymous $60 million gift. The college provided the illustration of the project at right. Please note today's date.
And it turns out Houghton isn't the only college unveiling unusual infrastructure projects today. Check out the latest news from Smith College, where getting to class is about to get easier.
