Water leak damages high-tech USC computer science building
The university's facilities planning and management department confirmed that the leak originated from the attic of Ginsburg Hall on Wednesday, but did not comment on the extent of the damage.
Members of the facilities planning and management team responded when the leak was reported, turned off the water and started repairs, the department said in a statement to The Times on Friday. There is no estimated timeline for how long repairs will take.
The 116,000-square-foot building — officially named the Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg Human-Centered Computation Hall — opened in September. It was designed by architecture firm HOK and reportedly had a $130-million budget.
Read more: English major? History student? USC wants to teach you about computer science, too
Ginsburg Hall boasts some of the campus' most advanced technology, housing a two-story lab dedicated to the research and testing of autonomous aerial vehicles and open-plan robotics labs.
It's the first building at USC to earn a LEED platinum certification, the highest level of recognition from the U.S. Green Building Council.
The building also became a popular study spot for students, briefly earning viral fame on TikTok for its soundproof, private study pods.
Researchers who work in Ginsburg Hall were notified to go to the building and check their equipment, the university said in its statement, but the building was closed for repairs.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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The status quo is incomprehensible and dangerous: Young Americans are being asked to unwittingly face off against an algorithm that may be a tool of Chinese intelligence services. Allowing this dynamic to persist risks eroding the cognitive, civic and strategic foundations of American leadership. Jonathan Panikoff is a senior fellow in the Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center and the former director of the Investment Security Group, overseeing the intelligence community's CFIUS efforts at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Joseph Webster is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and editor of the independent China-Russia Report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
