Since 1922, all of the science and home economics classes were held in Power House, the building that would later be called the Albertus Magnus Science Building and is now the Magnus Arts Center. The original building was not intended for academic purposes and as the college grew in the decades after moving to River Forest, the need for expanded facilities became urgent. Ground was broken on August 8, 1958, on an addition to the existing science building. Completed in 1959 and designed by Naess and Murphy Architects, the new addition included space for the home economics department, a physical chemistry lab & seminar room, the geology and geography departments and classroom and office space.