Campus Construction Highlights

Our campus is in the midst of a transformative period. Our community is laying the groundwork for spaces and infrastructure that will allow us to live into our mission to educate the whole person and steward our resources toward a more sustainable future. 

As you walk the grounds, you’ll see work underway that supports a variety of projects, from  To Zero By Thirty-Five, the College's energy plan and vision for realizing its goal of carbon neutrality by 2035, to the revitalization of facilities across campus. These exciting and necessary projects will have a wide-reaching and long-standing impact on our community. Explore the resources below to learn more about some of the most critical and innovative work happening at Swarthmore.

To Zero By Thirty-Five

To Zero By Thirty-Five is Swarthmore’s bold vision for realizing its goal of carbon neutrality by 2035 by moving the College away from fossil fuel combustion and toward greater use of renewable energy. Drilling of the geoexchange wells at the heart of campus is now complete, and in early Spring 2026, we will begin site restoration, along with grading and seeding of the organic lawns.

Green Roof

  • Geoexchange Well Field Site Restoration

    With well drilling complete, in early Spring 2026 we will begin restoring Clothier Lawn, the lawn in front of McCabe, and the lawn in front of the Dining and Community Commons. This work will also involve grading and seeding of the organic lawns. Given that establishing healthy grass is very weather-dependent, and that fall is the best seed-growing season, we anticipate the sites will continue to be blocked off through most of the 2026 calendar year, although fencing will be minimal in the later months.  

    well field work on both sides of Magill walk

  • Moving Through Campus

    Work continues on installing low temperature hot water and chilled water piping that will ultimately connect Ben West House, Worth Hall, Willets Hall, McCabe Library, Bond Hall, the Lodges, Cunningham House, and the Wister Center to the geoexchange system. Several pathways connecting Ben West Parking Lot to Old Tarble and Worth Health Center remain closed as we continue this work, though you can access these buildings from around the front.

    Pathway Closure from Ben West Parking Lot

Renovating Benjamin West House

Renovations to Benjamin West House will continue through February 2026. Updates are being made to the interior of the building, and a new addition will be added to create more space to support Public Safety programming. Public Safety’s communications center and offices are temporarily located in Bond Memorial Hall during renovations. The department will move back into Ben West House once work is completed.

Benjamin West House under construction