Officials Were Aware Last Year Of Problems at Quad Facility

Leaks and structural problems that last week forced the indefinite closing of the $24 million Radcliffe Quadrangle Recreational Center (Q-Rac) were first defected more than a year ago. College officials said this week.

But officials at Radcliffe which owns the three year old facility did not order a thorough investigation of the detects until last June because they said, the building's designers reassured President Horner that the problems were not serious.

However, Horner said yesterday that "nobody has been remiss in judgement regarding the leakage problems. She added that the situation was so unusual that the original contractors and experts failed to realize at first the need for the structural analysis now being conducted.

Joseph Hoskins, the Boston architect who designed and supervised the construction of the Q-Rac has repeatedly refused comment.

Horner said she will receive a final report on the testing within the next few weeks. At that time. Horner added, she will decide whether to open portions of the gyure including the main basketball and volleyball courts--that are damaged less severely than the Q-Rac's seven squash courts, where the floors have reportedly buckled.

Although officials have declined to discuss details of the gym's maintenance history--which reportedly includes a large number of "patch-work" repairs--they readily acknowledge that the Q-Rac has experienced an mordrmate amount of difficulties.

"I think that the building has more problems than one would expect for a new building." John Lach, director of facilities for Radcliffe, said this week, adding that conditions over the past year have steadily worsened.

Robert Saltonstall, associate vice president of the University for operations, said that while "leaking in newly built buildings is not an uncommon problem," the Q-Rac has had unusual leaking problems."

Students have expressed disappointment over the closing of the Q-Rac which many said was the "one saving grace" of the Quad.

As testing continues at the facility, officials have refused to allow photographers in the building to take pictures of the damaged areas.