Boldt Construction, the general contractor for the campus center project, is building a mock-up of an exterior wall to display samples of potential materials for the new campus center.
This project is slated to last for two years and there will be continuous additions showing options for exterior features of the new campus center.
The wall is being built near Sage because that is the approximate location of the proposed building, and students will be able to judge the exterior options based on the actual environment in which the building will be constructed.
Lynn Hagee, Director of Conferences and Summer Programs, is a member of the Campus Center Planning Committee. She is very excited about this opportunity for students to give input on the exterior appearance of the campus center.
“There will be three kinds of stone from local quarries,” Hagee said.
There will be two settings of the stones to choose from: a clean-cut, horizontal setting or a more random setting. Students will also be able to comment on the grouting around the stones.
“Thick or thin? Dark or blending in with the stone? We want to know what the students like,” said Hagee.
The committee has not yet decided how student feedback will be gathered.
The wall will be about 12 feet tall once completed. Eventually, students will be able to comment on a mock-up of the campus center roof, the wood laminate to be used in the “great view” room, and three options for aluminum windows in the center.
“In the end we’ll have a full exterior wall for you to look at,” Hagee said.
Hagee also gave some updates on the general progress of the campus center project. The Board of Trustees will be at Lawrence this week to decide whether or not to give their approval for the beginning of construction.
“We need the approval of the Trustees before anything can begin,” Hagee said.
Once this decision has been made, Hulbert House will be deconstructed. Currently, items are being taken out of the house that can be used elsewhere on campus, such as air conditioners and woodwork.
Habitat for Humanity will then come in and remove any reusable materials to sell in their local ReStore. Think of it as “recycling” the former McCarthy Co-Op.
After Hulbert House has been deconstructed, excavation will begin. A 200-foot tower will be built on the site for laying concrete and completing other heavy-duty tasks for the construction of the future campus center.
Hagee also described the fence that will go up around the construction site.
“There will be a plywood fence, painted white, facing the Beta house and the Lawe Street footbridge,” Hagee said. Chain-link fencing will surround the rest of the project.
Students from the art department will be invited to cover the plywood portions of the fence with their artwork. Also, holes will be cut in the plywood so that students can closely watch the progress of construction.
“Jill Beck is very focused on getting the student opinion,” Hagee said of the exterior wall mock-up.
Students should stop by the wall occasionally to check out the samples and see what they like best. Once the committee has selected a method for student feedback, all Lawrentians should make an effort to respond with their opinions.
Campus center feedback wall
