With the summer approaching, construction projects are gearing up on campus, including those at the School of Engineering Building 550 — the Peterson Lab — which will get its first facelift in almost 50 years.

The Peterson Lab was previously home to several materials science laboratories, the Center for Integrated Facility of Engineering (CIFE) and the Global Climate and Energy Program (GCEP).

After the renovation effort, the new occupants of the building will include the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (nicknamed “D. School”) and the Design Division of mechanical engineering.

The renovation effort will take just over a year.

“The reason [for the renovation] is that the building has not had any major renovation since the 60s,” said Brian Carilli, associate director of facilities and planning at the School of Engineering, who is overseeing the renovation effort. “Most of the infrastructure of the building is still pre-1960.”

The building has a long history on campus. It was first built in 1907, serving in part as a horse stable. Stanford hopes to preserve the building’s historical elements in its redesign.

“We will keep the sandstones and windows to make sure the building remains historic,” Carilli said.

But the building will get a modern twist to keep it in line with current environmental standards.

“Part of it is also consistent with our sustainability goals,” said Carilli, pointing out the green initiative in this project. “We will try to recycle the material [torn down from the interior] as much as possible.”

The previous occupants of the building have all been relocated to new buildings. Materials science laboratories have been moved to Durand, while CIFE and GCEP have been moved to Y2E2.

The relocation efforts also aim to achieve greater integration within each department.

“Moving materials science laboratories to Durand makes sense because the majority of materials science is in McCullough and Moore, which is right beside Durand,” said Carilli.

In the same vein, the design division of mechanical engineering will be centered at Building 550, with hopes of achieving greater integration within the mechanical engineering department, which hovers around the Panama Mall.

The newly renovated building will also be the permanent home to the D. School, which has been relocated twice in the past three years in its effort of expansion. The close ties between the Design Division of mechanical engineering and the D. School may also prompt the designation of the building to the two occupants after the renovation.

Professor Bernard Roth, a faculty in the Design Division of mechanical engineering, thought the renovation was much-needed.

“The renovation is necessary since the building has a lot of wrongs with it and is not suitable for the new tenants,” he said.