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Great news! Construction on our new FUS building resumes construction��after the project was delayed due to COVID-19.��

As of Tuesday, April 21, construction has resumed on our landmark FUS building. Back in May of 2019, we kicked off the final phase of construction of Franklin’s new student residence complex with a traditional groundbreaking ceremony. However, the project was delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions. Now we’re back on track!

This news is a welcome boost to morale here in the FUS community. Certainly, Franklin’s existing campuses are already remarkable for their setting, landscaping, and beauty, and this new addition will no doubt prove to be the jewel in the crown. Our new structure, designed by award-winning Italian architects Flaviano Capriotti Architetti, will include many state of the art features designed to enhance the campus, from conveniently located and modern student apartments with 1, 2, and 4 bedrooms to a student center, two levels of underground parking, flexible classroom spaces, a bright and spacious fitness center, areas for student organizations and graduate student research, an art gallery, Office of Student Life (OSL) offices, including Medical Services and Counseling, and more.

As the images show, this dramatic structure will be a landmark in the Sorengo community and will feature a façade that evokes the edge of a book, thus symbolizing education and learning. The interior courtyard will offer students a large, open space in which to relax and interact with fellow classmates.

For now, government agencies are limiting building activity on the site to a maximum of 10 people at any given time. Social distancing and other precautions in line with Swiss regulations are being observed to keep workers safe. The general excavation was completed before the outbreak of the COVID-19 outbreak, and the site has since been handed over to Quadri SA, a local Ticinese building company in charge of the actual construction.

We recently spoke with Quadri SA, now in their third generation of a proud family tradition, and a respected member of the business community. Reflecting on the unique design, Signore Franco Quadri stated: “The modern shape of the building and the arrangement of the spaces which form an amphitheater will serve as a meeting point. It will create a harmonious settlement in the hill along the road. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to realize this work of prestige and importance for your students and all your staff.”

Franklin is equally grateful for the chance to help our economy by hiring locally. As we begin to emerge from restrictions that have been hard on everyone, we look forward to a bright future. As Mr. Quadri says, we meet this challenge “with renewed spirit and optimism!”