Six academic departments expect to move next month into Hart Hall, recently the focus of $8.9 million in renovation work at the University of California, Davis. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, Hart Hall is one of the few buildings remaining from the early days of the campus, according to Lou Weiss, principle engineer in the campus architects and engineers office. Built in 1927, the building was home to the animal science department for 60 years before the department relocated to Meyer Hall in 1987. To preserve the historical features of the building, the south and east facades, the roof line and lobby were restored to their original design. The two-year renovation project provides departmental and academic offices for Applied Behavioral Sciences, Asian American Studies, Chicano Studies, Geography, Instructional Media, and Native American Studies. Hart Hall will also be home to the C. N. Gorman Museum, which features a permanent collection of Native American art and artifacts as well as changing exhibitions of works by contemporary Native American and other ethnic artists. Additional offices and six classrooms have been provided by removing the north wing and rear walls to increase the width of the building. Most of this project was funded through a voter-approved bond measure. Behind the east and south facades, the building was reconstructed to provide a large courtyard. Interior alterations include a three-story tower lobby which connects the south and east wings. Also included are new shear walls and flooring to meet seismic and fire standards. In addition, the 38,000-square-foot building contains a new central air conditioning system. Rooms requiring air conditioning beyond normal work hours will have individual electrical systems to allow for independent operation. The building was designed to be energy efficient. The building was named for George Hart, a pioneering science professor who was the first dean of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.