Construction is progressing smoothly, and workers have not experienced major problems with renovations to the 1911Building, located off Current Drive, according to architect Carolyn Axtman.
Axtman said workers first cleared the building of trash, so that the work could commence.
“We’ve finished a good portion of the demolition,” Axtman said.
She said as part of the renovations the “Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning” system will be improved, eliminating the previous need for external air conditioning units.
“The HVAC system is being upgrading, so it operates like a modern office building,” Axtman said.
Eika Tai, associate professor of foreign languages and literatures, said she had an office in the 1911 Building last semester, and the renovations are long overdue.
“It was very stuffy, and the temperature was always too high,” Tai said. “Even in the winter, we had to use an air conditioner.”
Tai said many of her colleagues in the building reported the same problems, and she was glad to move to Withers Hall this semester.
“Everyone was complaining,” Tai said “It was unhealthy over there.”
According to Axtman, improvements to the building will also include new classroom space, a lounge area and a small campus eatery.
“We are also putting in an extension of the campus passway,” Axtman said. “You will be able to go straight through from the Brickyard to North Campus.”
Axtman said the project is scheduled for completion in early April 2008, but construction is still in its early stages, so it is hard to predict when exactly it will be finished.
“The construction deal calls for 14 months, and we started at the beginning of February,” Axtman said. “However … any construction is subject to delays.”
Axtman said, so far, nothing has happened to slow down the work on the building.
“We have run into some bare wall, but i wouldn’t say there has been anything show-stopping yet,” Axtman said.
Bhagirath Patel, a freshman in First Year College, said when he visited the 1911 Building last semester, he found it to be cramped and uncomfortable.
“When I was taking a foreign language last semester, the 1911 building is where my professor held office hours, and the building was in pretty bad condition,” Patel said. “I don’t mind walking around the construction if it means better facilities.”
Mansoor Omar, a sophomore in the transition program, said the 1911 Building is a great location for a student lounge, and the internal pathway will be convenient for students.
“It will help with traffic control, and it will be a benefit for the campus,” Omar said.