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Latest Princeton University building a reflective design

By Greg Forester, Staff Writer
   Construction on Sherrerd Hall, Princeton University’s latest architecturally unique addition, should be completed this week when construction crews finish work on the roof.
   The 45,000-square-foot glass-faced structure, named after the late John J. F. Sherrerd, a 1952 Princeton graduate, became the home of the Department of Operations Research and Financial Engineering and the Center for Information Technology Policy in early September.
   The goal of the university and the building’s designers was to create a structure that was simultaneously unique, while fitting in with surrounding structures.
   That is evident in the completed building, according to university officials.
   Chris Emery, an employee of the university’s engineering department, said the cube-shaped building’s glass face fulfills the goal of “fitting in” by successfully reflecting the features of the surrounding campus, like the Friend Center for Engineering Education and the Mudd Manuscript Library.
   ”The essence of this building is playing with light,” said Mr. Emery.
   Yet light, which can be overpowering on a sunny day, is controlled through the design of Sherrerd Hall, designed by Frederick Fisher and Partners of Los Angeles.
   Small slits cut into the glass panels on the sides of the building, known as frits, reduce the glare and dim the reflection of light, “softening the feel of the building,” according to Mr. Emery.
   Also softening the light reflected by the building is the composition of the glass panels, with some more translucent than others.
   The nearly-completed roof will be the university’s first “green” roof, which includes plants placed in trays that should help reduce energy costs and greenhouse gases.
   The interior of the structure is also unique, with a massive sculpture by California artist Jim Isermann jutting up inside a stairwell.
   The programs housed in the building represent the intersection of engineering and social sciences and are intended to help governmental entities and businesses reduce risks, according to university officials.
   Mr. Sherrerd, an economics major who went on to found a successful of investment management firm, would probably be taking classes or working in one of the department’s housed in the building.
   ”Our father was fascinated by the application-oriented research conducted by ORFE faculty and students, particularly as it related to finance, which was his profession and passion for so many years,” said Mr. Sherrerd’s daughter and 1986 alumna, Susan Sherrerd, in a statement released by the university.
   Some of the building’s funding came from a Sherrerd family trust known as The Sherrerd Foundation.