Campus Construction Continues Through Summer
In spite of this spring’s erratic — and at times volatile — weather, construction projects have continued apace cross campus.
It’s the time of year when the Design and Construction teams in Facilities Management scramble to get projects completed and the campus refreshed. With no fewer than 15 major projects in the works, here is a summary of those that are nearing completion, underway, and coming soon.
ACTIVE SITES
Boggs First Floor Renovation
Renovation of the first floor of the Gilbert H. Boggs Chemistry Building continues. The latest phase of work will provide undergraduate instructional laboratory spaces for the School of Biology and the School of Physics. This project includes HVAC reconfiguration, electrical reconfiguration, upgrades to the fire protection system, and replacement and repurposing of laboratory casework. Work began in February and should be completed in November.
Football Locker Room Renovation
The players’ locker room, coaches’ locker room, equipment spaces, and circulation spaces in Bobby Dodd Stadium are getting a renovation and refresh. Updates include building systems upgrades such as the HVAC and plumbing in the toilet, shower, and hydrotherapy areas. Enhanced ventilation throughout the renovated areas, as well as ventilated lockers and improved audiovisual equipment, are also in the plans. The project will be finished in early July for use in the 2018 football season.
Instructional Center: Classroom Improvement
Phase II remobilized this month with an expected completion of August. Renovations include accessibility upgrades to the instructional space and supporting ancillary spaces, new restrooms, completion of the elevator, and ADA access to the auditorium. Six remaining classrooms will be reconfigured for problem-based learning formats, and public areas will be improved to provide breakout learning space. Mechanical systems will also be replaced.
The renovation of the Instructional Center’s Tennenbaum Auditorium includes a new sprinkler system, refreshing of finishes, reconfiguration of the aisles to meet current code, and expanding the room’s capacity to 300. Construction started in May and will be completed in October.
Library Renewal
The library complex is getting a complete renovation including site utilities, interior and exterior construction, steam tunnel work, and sanitary sewer drainage systems. Much of the tower’s exterior has been replaced on the north and south sides to provide natural light and views. The interior is being reconfigured to provide ample study and collaboration space. Work on Phase I, the tower portion, started in August 2017 and wraps up this winter. Phase II will begin in January, which will focus on the Price Gilbert portion, and is projected to be finished in Spring 2020.
Dalney Building
The Dalney Building project features a new parking deck that will house 800 spaces and an adjacent 54,500-square-foot office building. A photovoltaic array is planned for future implementation on the top level of the parking deck. Further, space for a blackwater reclamation system will be provided at the lower level of the office building. Construction begins this month, to be completed in August 2019.
The Kendeda Building
The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design, which will be located at the corner of State Street and Ferst Drive, has officially been under construction since March. The beginnings of the foundation have been poured, and work is expected to be complete in Summer 2019, at which point the building will undergo the Living Building Challenge certification process, which is anticipated to be complete in Fall 2020. Follow the progress via webcam at livingbuilding.gatech.edu.
Campus Safety Facility
Construction began in February on the new 30,000-square-foot building at the corner of Tenth Street and Hemphill Avenue. The new building will house the Georgia Tech Police Department and provide a new campus-focused entry in the Northeast sector of campus. The facility will also be Georgia Tech’s first WELL Certified building, a certification program that promotes health and well-being in buildings.
Howey Physics Building
This project began in February and includes a complete overhaul of Howey’s lecture hall spaces as well as restroom improvements. The two-phase project will complete its first phase in August 2019, with a full completion date of August 2020.
Coda Building
After months of digging, several floors of the Coda Building are now visible above ground at the corner of Spring Street and Armstead Place. Coda will include 645,000 square feet of office and retail space programmed around the goal to serve as the core of collaboration and the pinnacle of innovation in Midtown Atlanta. Georgia Tech will be the anchor tenant, occupying 288,771 square feet of space. The building is under construction by DPR with an anticipated completion date of February 2019. Construction of Georgia Tech’s space will begin in September, with the project scheduled for completion in Spring 2019. Follow the construction at codatechsquare.com/building.
NEARING COMPLETION
Nanotechnology: Cell Manufacturing
Construction is nearly complete on the new 2,930-square-foot cleanroom facility for the Marcus Center for Therapeutic Cell Characterization and Manufacturing. This project also includes extending the building’s common corridor by 2,000 square feet to provide access, egress, equipment moving paths, and educational viewing opportunities into the new cleanroom space. The project should be finished this month.
Savant: Ivan Allen College
Renovation of the first floor of the Savant Building will be completed this month. The renovated first floor will accommodate the dean’s office for the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts. Work included paint, flooring, repairing historic plaster, installing new light fixtures, replacing the entry doors, and replacing all of the building’s fenestration to restore its historical external appearance.
Atlantic Promenade Phase III
Phase I of this project replaced a steam line from the Bunger-Henry Building to Ferst Drive; phases II and III provided extensive streetscape and landscape improvements. The landscape along the Atlantic Drive corridor from Tech Green to Ferst Drive now includes multiple bioswales and drought-tolerant plant species. Improvements in the area also include new outdoor study areas, such as the Seven Bridges Plaza, inspired by Leonhard Euler’s solution to the Seven Bridges of Konigsberg, a solution that laid the foundations of graph theory. Additional upgrades include improved walkways, more than 100 new bike racks, and underground stormwater retention. The area is fully open to pedestrians, and finishing touches should be in place this week.
Van Leer Interdisciplinary Design Commons
Renovation continues for the two-story rotunda to create space for a new Interdisciplinary Design Commons, which will provide interdisciplinary education, collaboration, research, and makerspace for student design and invention. Windows have been installed and landscaping is underway. The project is scheduled to be finished in June.
JUST GETTING STARTED
Eco-Commons Sector
The overall Eco-Commons concept encompasses approximately 80 acres. The portion of the Eco-Commons currently under active planning consists of eight acres and includes a performance landscape, which will have sustainable infrastructure components, as well as green space for community use. The project will incorporate urban agriculture and a stream channel to mimic historic water flow while capturing stormwater for reuse. This water capture is in support of Georgia Tech’s sustainability goal to reduce stormwater runoff by 50 percent. A network of stormwater utilities and reclaimed water utilities will be installed as a part of this project. Also included in the footprint of the project is the construction of the Kendeda Building and Campus Safety Facility.
DESIGN PLANNING
Campus Center
The Campus Center project will provide a comprehensive renovation of Georgia Tech’s Student Center complex, transforming the current facility into a broadly focused center to better serve the needs of the entire campus. The goal is for the Campus Center to become the place to support social interaction, relaxation, and creative expression within the diverse community.
ACC Network Production Center
In June, demolition and construction will commence to convert the building at 955 Fowler Street NW into a High Definition production facility for the launch of ESPN’s Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Network. The facility will meet the ACC’s requirement to have production facilities on-site and include control rooms, a small production studio, support spaces, and offices.
An Upcoming Detour
Fourth Street Closed
Due to construction on an apartment tower at Spring and Fourth Streets, Fourth Street will be closed June 4–7. This will affect entrance and exit into the Tech Square parking deck. Use entrances on Spring and Williams Streets to access the deck.