Vivian Hall, located on the agricultural campus at Ohio State, was deconstructed this spring and various affected departments have moved to a new location.

Coco J. Kneisly, administrative manager of Facilities Operations and Development, said in an email there was currently no plan designated for the site. Kneisly said the deconstruction cost $630,000.

Kneisly said the decision to deconstruct the building was part of the university’s One Ohio State Framework plan. One stated goal of the Framework is to make better use of the space on campus by reducing and consolidating buildings when deemed appropriate.

Kneisly also said Vivian Hall was chosen for deconstruction because a significant study found its functionality had become obsolete.

“Antiquated spaces could not support modern science and learning, all building systems were beyond their useful life and were not energy efficient,” Kneisly said in an email to The Lantern. “It lacked key structural elements that would have made it a good candidate for renovation.”

Three different departments at OSU utilized Vivian Hall before it was deconstructed. The Department of Animal Sciences, the Section of Communications and Technology, and the College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences all used the building.

Offices from the affected departments were relocated within various spaces used by the College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. Some researchers in the Department of Animal Sciences were moved to lab spaces in Plumb Hall.

Isain Zapata, a graduate student in animal sciences, conducted his research in Vivian Hall daily. He said the building was poorly maintained and had substandard conditions, such as mold.

“It was really bad, and it was almost empty,” Zapata said. “I think because (almost) no one worked there, it wasn’t taken care of very well.”

While Kneisly described the space in Plumb Hall as renovated, Zapata said his new location has some of the same problems.

“Plumb is another old building,” Zapata said. “But there are a lot more people here.”

Zapata said that Plumb is maintained much better because of the higher number of people who work there.

Vivian Hall was originally constructed in 1951 as the Agricultural Laboratory. In 1958, the name was officially changed to Vivian Hall, in honor of Dean Alfred Vivian, according to university records.