By Diana Hutchison, Director of Campus Planning & Project Management
As the summer months approach and classes wind down, it may surprise many that this time of year can be the busiest for those of us working for K-State’s Division of Facilities. In addition to maintaining our current facility needs, indoors and out, we are full speed ahead towards completing several exciting projects that will be wonderful additions to our campus. Here is an update on 6 major construction projects that we will be focusing on in the months ahead.
The New Chiller Plant: Jack Carlson, Project Manager
Construction on the Chiller Plant building is substantially complete as of the second week of May. There will be a two week testing and break-in period before the New Chilled Water Plant will be operational for K-State staff at the end of May.
Installation of chilled water lines will continue this summer and will cause numerous road and side walk closures.
Starting May 16, road closures to Vattier and Mid-Campus Drive will occur (see below).
You can find the most updated information on closures and pedestrian routes at http://www.k-state.edu/facilities/projects/projects/index.html
Maps are also available for viewing on a monitor in the Dykstra Customer Service Lobby.
The Berney Family Welcome Center: Jeremy Sharp, Project Manager
Construction to revitalize the historic East Memorial Stadium is complete and staff will begin moving in the week of May 16. This unique facility is one of the first in the county to provide a central location for resources used to welcome prospective and new students, as well as to provide career and employment services to students transitioning from college to career. The Welcome Center Lobby includes an interactive video wall.
The College of Business Administration: Mark George, Project Manager
This new 160,000 SF building will house the entire College of Business Administration. It will provide a 250 seat auditorium, 13 general classrooms, computer classrooms, specialized applied education classrooms, faculty offices, student collaboration spaces, college administrative offices, and support spaces. This building will be ready for classes beginning Fall of 2016.
Wefald Residence Hall: Mark Taussig, Project Manager
This new residence hall is located above the two story Kramer Dining Center and will connect to Marlatt and Goodnow Halls with bridges. Each residential floor will have three communities consisting of 14 double rooms, 2 single rooms, a study room, a break-out room, and bathroom facilities. Shared by the three communities on each floor is a kitchen and lounge area. The building has a total of 540 student beds as well as director and assistant director apartments. The main floor will house a new dining center and a central lobby. There will be a laundry facility located on the first floor. Occupancy is scheduled for the Fall of 2016.
K-State Student Union: Nelda Gaito, Project Manager
This student funded project includes the renovation of the student government office, student organization offices, bookstore, and food service areas. The ground and first floors will be restructured to provide a more dynamic and student-focused Union. While food venues are currently closed in the Union for renovation, there are various eating choices available at food trucks located daily in Bosco Plaza. The ground floor construction has been partially completed and student offices, Union Marketing, Copy Center and K-State ID center are currently relocating to their new spaces on the ground floor. The Union Computer Store is scheduled to open in its new location the first week of June. Access to the Union will change throughout the renovation process. Visit Union.k-state.edu for building access updates.
We are thrilled to acknowledge and congratulate all members of our Facilities family that were recognized for their loyalty and achievements at the University Support Staff Recognition Ceremony held in the K-State Student Union Ballroom on April 27th as well as the All-University Awards Ceremony on May 2nd. We are so proud to be a part of your team!
I am honored to be here! I’d like to take this opportunity to share some thoughts on sustainability and energy usage on our campus.
Closer to home, there are many things being done by K-State’s Campus Planning in building design and construction to help. For example, the newly opened Engineering Expansion building, College of Business Administration, and Seaton Hall Expansion will all have cutting-edge technology and building controls to conserve energy. This includes LED lighting, occupancy sensors and unoccupied setbacks among other things. In fact, these buildings were all designed with sustainability principles in mind and two buildings on campus were built/renovated based on standards from the United States Green Building Council’s “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” (LEED) program. Both Justin Hall and Leadership Studies were awarded Gold certification and it’s believed that Leadership Studies was the first building among higher education institutions in Kansas to be given this prestigious designation. We are also completing the new $56,000,000 Chiller Plant Project to add more capacity and more efficient control to the chilled water supply, which is far and away the largest consumer of electricity. Even small classroom renovation projects are installing new windows, cool roofs, high-efficiency lighting, and other upgrades to help in the effort.
In addition, individuals and student groups have approached me on ways they can help. We are currently working with them to set up volunteer groups to help spread the message that “green is cool”.
So, thanks for your help! Keep up the great work and let’s see if we can do even more. Remember all that sage wisdom your Dad used to share with you? (“Shut the door….do you live in a barn?” or “Turn off the lights….do you think I’m made of money?”) Regardless of how goofy they may have sounded, there was some logic in those timeless phrases. If all of us could try and remember to take those words to heart, we could potentially save thousands of dollars a year on utility costs as well as help reduce our carbon footprint for future generations. So, the next time you’re the last one leaving a room and the light is still on – flip the switch, shut the door, and smile at dear old Dad.
