Atanasoff Hall, home to Iowa State’s computer science department, is looking to receive a major building update to bring the space up to modern standards and push Iowa State’s computational research further.

The building, constructed in 1969, has not received any significant renovation in its lifetime, according to Pavan Aduri, interim chair of the computer science department.

According to Aduri, the funding for the project awaits approval, which will not occur until the spring session.

“There was a request made for the renovation but the Board of Regents said, instead of doing it as a renovation, they asked me to submit it as what they call ‘deferred maintenance,’” Aduri said. “So as of now, until the legislature meets, we will not know anything–whether that will be approved or not, or any timeline.”

Wendy Kisch, associate vice president of Facilities Planning and Management, said that updating Atanasoff is a priority for the university.

“Earlier this year, ISU was asked to consider priorities for facility renewal for the September Board of Regents meeting,” Kisch stated in an email to the Daily. “Atanasoff was noted as one of our priorities; however, no funding has been identified at this time.”

Atanasoff has also been identified as a priority space by university leadership.

“The president and provost–they came and visited the department toward the end of spring 2023, they came and toured the facilities,” Aduri said. “At that time, they kind of made it a priority to commit to the Atanasoff renovation.”

According to Aduri, the renovations would primarily consist of improvements to research labs and meeting spaces. Aduri described the vision for the new spaces as more modern and collaborative.

“There are some desks lying outside in the corridor, so a lot of students come and use that space, but it’s cramped in the corridor,” Aduri said. “So with enhanced facilities, we’ll have dedicated collaboration spaces where the students can come and work together.”

Myra Cohen, chair of the software engineering department, said collaboration is a crucial piece in the potential renovation.

“In computer science, collaboration is very important,” Cohen said. “We have a lot of interdisciplinary projects.”

Rising enrollment in the computer science department is another concern the facilities update would address, which has changed how spaces need to be occupied and used.

“Our undergrad enrollment went up by more than 30% and grad students went up by more than 60%, so even to keep up with that, we need more facilities for the students,” Aduri said.

Cohen also attributes the recruitment and retention of students as a catalyst for the project.

“We have a large undergraduate program, and it’s important for recruiting, for keeping students, to have a space where they have state-of-the-art facilities, and they are comfortable and can actually perform their research and get a good education,” Cohen said.

Updating the Atanasoff facilities and resources of the computer science program will aid Iowa State in continuing to be a leader in technological disciplines, Aduri said.

“If you look at the other universities across the nation, many universities are investing in computer science buildings and facilities because they all recognize the central role computer science plays across many disciplines,” Aduri said. “Having the state-of-the-art facilities will definitely enhance our ability to attract top-notch faculty, as well as students.”

The renovation would also further facilitate growth and development in areas such as quantum computing, machine learning and robotics, Aduri said.

The push to continue growth in the department and their research was made clear by both Aduri and Cohen, beckoning back to Atanasoff Hall’s namesake, John Vincent Atanasoff, who invented the first digital electronic computer at Iowa State in the 1930s.

“This is an important space for us,” Cohen said. “It’s a historical building, and we’d like to see it move a little bit forward and be able to keep using it in a way that moves our program forward.”

Cohen said that she also looks forward to how the building’s atmosphere will change with facility improvements.

“Having people come in and be excited about being in the building and working here, wanting to come to Atanosoff, because it’s a place where they can do their research and meet with other students–to us, that would be exciting,” Cohen said.

According to Aduri, this renovation will have a broad impact beyond making a building look more modern.

“This renovation is not just an investment in the building,” Aduri said. “It’s more about investment in the future of the students, faculty and the staff.”