Because one side of the building's facade is primarily glass, architects devised an aluminum sunshade--unnoticeable from inside--to block the sun.

According to Albert Gold, associate dean for administration in DEAS, the primary purpose of the new building, which necessitated the removal of the Aiken Computation Center, was to allow for expansion of the division.

"Growth is the first goal, and of course that reflects the goal for the current [Capital] Campaign for a substantial increase in the size of the Faculty in that field," he said.

To that end, $20 million of Ballmer and Gates' gifts were used for the construction of the center with the other $5 million of their contribution used to support research and endow a Faculty chair. MIT recently announced its own Gates gift, a $20 million gift to its Laboratory of Computer Science.

As with most Harvard projects, the donors have not been much involved besides providing the funding, instead deciding, according to Gold, that "Harvard is well-equipped to manage it."

With just seven weeks left before the contractors are supposed to turn the keys over, the building's interior is far from complete. While the upstairs office space is almost finished, with carpeting already on the floor, the railings for the "interior central communicating stair" as it is termed by the architects, have yet to be fitted and all of the auditoriums are seatless.

Still, all those involved with the project remain confident that everything will be completed on time. "It just gels at the last minute," Gold said.

Gold said that once the building is turned over to the University there will be a month-long get-acquainted period for maintenance staff. Faculty are expected to move in August 23rd. Officials say Faculty and staff should be settled in when school opens in the fall.