Osborn Cottage, which was home to the ISU Honors Program for 25 years, was torn down over the summer to make way for the new Gerdin Business building.

To replace Osborn, Iowa State is building the $2.2 million Martin Jischke Honors Building north of Ross Hall. The building is named after former ISU president Martin Jischke, as decided by the state Board of Regents. Funds were raised through the ISU Foundation and private donations.

The architectural plans for the building were designed to recreate Osborn’s informal atmosphere, said Liz Beck, director of the honors program. The new building, slated for completion by March 5, 2002, will be built among trees and have a natural feel to it, she said.

“When designing the new building, we kept in mind the homey, comfortable feeling Osborn offered,” Beck said.

Howard Shapiro, vice provost for undergraduate programs, said the Martin Jischke Building will be more impressive than Osborn.

“We’re hoping the new building maintains the same homey feel for the students while also giving them a showcase for others to see,” he said.

The new building will offer the same 24-hour access, open kitchen, computer lab, study area and lounge area open to each honor student. It will hostthree concurrent classes each hour and an admissions session at 9 a.m. each morning.

As the honors program grew, Osborn Cottage became too small.

The new building will offer twice the space of Osborn, yet this still may not be enough to host the exponentially growing program, Beck said.

“Since I have been here the program has quadrupled and is still continuing to grow,” she said. “The new building will offer more space, yet with the growing number of honors students, it may still be a tight squeeze.”

Honors students and faculty hope the new building will offer the same comfortable feeling Osborn offered.

“I hope the new building has the same atmosphere,” said Lisa Rosentreter, member of the honors program.

“Osborn was a place we could call home away from home.”

Rosentreter, senior in apparel merchandising, design and production, said she is excited to use the new building.

“I am sad Osborn is gone, but we really needed something new,” she said.

“Osborn had many problems.”

The honors program office temporarily is in 112 Pearson Hall, while students and staff anxiously await the completion of the new building.

“Pearson is working quite well,” Beck said.

“The space is very adaptable.”

So far, the base of the stand-alone building has been built. A Web cam allowing a 24-hour view of the progress of the building is running from the top of Ross Hall.

Pictures from the Web site can be viewed at www.fpm.iastate.edu/webcam/honors.