HOME IMPROVEMENT. There will soon be a new chancellor's residence at 16 College Park. The 60-year-old home, vacant since February 1994 because of serious structural and mechanical problems, is currently being dismantled, and construction of a new building is scheduled to begin later this summer. Demolition and reconstruction was recommended by a campus committee of faculty, staff, student, alumni and donor representatives chaired by Janet Hamilton, vice chancellor for administration. The group favored a facility that would serve both as a private residence and as a public venue, believing that long-term operating costs would be substantially reduced with a new, energy-efficient and well-constructed residence. Hamilton noted that remodeling "didn't seem the best choice for a building that was constructed as a private residence more than 60 years ago and periodically remodeled in ways that make further changes virtually impossible." The facility's new design, created by San Francisco architectural firm William Turnbull Associates, features a courtyard ringed by a combination of private and public spaces designed to meet the needs of both a residence and a public venue for hosting fund-raising, recruiting and recognition events. Demolition and reconstruction costs, projected to be about $1.2 million, will be covered with private funds raised by the campus, supplemented by non-state funds from the Office of the President.