University Center gets set to receive makeover
August 22, 2006
A Seattle design firm, Mithun, has been selected to renovate the University Center. Major construction will begin next summer.
Mithun was chosen because the company understands the culture and long-range goals of the university, presented innovative ideas when bidding for the project, and employs a number of green building experts, according to John Kaniss, construction projects manager. At this point, the university is planning for the renovation will comply with the U.S. Green Building’s Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, he added.
Last week, the UC’s current tenants met with Kaniss and representatives from Mithun to offer their suggestions for improvements to the building, Kaniss said.
“It never hurts to ask folks who live and work in the building what their thoughts are,” he said. “Sometimes they have super ideas we wouldn’t have thought of.”
The exact plan for the renovation is still being developed. The conversations held last week, the needs of the university and the project’s budget will all contribute to the final renovation plan, Kaniss said.
However, specific issues have been identified that will be addressed. For example, Dining Services will see significant improvements, including updated equipment, increased dining space and an improved flow for serving food, Kaniss said. Additionally, a new staging system and multimedia options are being considered to enhance The Cave, he said.
All the UC’s meeting rooms and offices will receive a facelift, and issues like humidity and temperature control will be addressed, Kaniss said. The building’s electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems will be updated, and safety features, like the fire alarm system, will be brought up to current standards, he added.
In the initial planning phase, the university also identified the following issues: maintaining the amount of meeting space currently available; creating additional storage; increasing the visibility of offices that provide services to students; and improving student gathering spaces, Kaniss said.
Minor construction projects may begin in the spring, but it should not affect the campus community’s daily use of the UC, Kaniss said. For example, renovations to offices and meeting spaces that are used less frequently could begin, but major renovations, like the overhaul of Dining Services, will not start until the end of spring term. The renovation will be complete by August 2007, he said.
The design plan for the UC renovation should be complete by the end of the month, according to Kaniss. The campus community will have the opportunity to see and comment on the plan in September. The design may be tweaked based on those comments before it is presented to the Board of Regents for approval in October, he said.
The Morken Center for Learning and Technology was PLU’s first LEED-certified project, and received gold-level certification this July.
To learn more about the UC renovation and to follow the progress of the construction, click here.
To learn more about Mithun, visit www.mithun.com.
Last week, the UC’s current tenants met with Kaniss and representatives from Mithun to offer their suggestions for improvements to the building, Kaniss said.
“It never hurts to ask folks who live and work in the building what their thoughts are,” he said. “Sometimes they have super ideas we wouldn’t have thought of.”
The exact plan for the renovation is still being developed. The conversations held last week, the needs of the university and the project’s budget will all contribute to the final renovation plan, Kaniss said.
However, specific issues have been identified that will be addressed. For example, Dining Services will see significant improvements, including updated equipment, increased dining space and an improved flow for serving food, Kaniss said. Additionally, a new staging system and multimedia options are being considered to enhance The Cave, he said.
All the UC’s meeting rooms and offices will receive a facelift, and issues like humidity and temperature control will be addressed, Kaniss said. The building’s electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems will be updated, and safety features, like the fire alarm system, will be brought up to current standards, he added.
In the initial planning phase, the university also identified the following issues: maintaining the amount of meeting space currently available; creating additional storage; increasing the visibility of offices that provide services to students; and improving student gathering spaces, Kaniss said.
Minor construction projects may begin in the spring, but it should not affect the campus community’s daily use of the UC, Kaniss said. For example, renovations to offices and meeting spaces that are used less frequently could begin, but major renovations, like the overhaul of Dining Services, will not start until the end of spring term. The renovation will be complete by August 2007, he said.
The design plan for the UC renovation should be complete by the end of the month, according to Kaniss. The campus community will have the opportunity to see and comment on the plan in September. The design may be tweaked based on those comments before it is presented to the Board of Regents for approval in October, he said.
The Morken Center for Learning and Technology was PLU’s first LEED-certified project, and received gold-level certification this July.
To learn more about the UC renovation and to follow the progress of the construction, click here.
To learn more about Mithun, visit www.mithun.com.