With capital budgets strained, renovation may be an increasingly attractive money-saving option for many college and universities.
Deciding whether renovation is more cost effective than new construction comes down to a few key questions:
• Can the existing structure support the program?
• Is the structure still sound?
• Is hazardous materials abatement needed?
• Will current occupants have to be relocated during construction? If so, what are the options?
Tom Chung, AIA, LEED BD+C, says it is worth spending extra time to do a thorough investigation of structural issues and infrastructure. “University officials understand this if they have been burned on a previous rehab project,” says Chung, a Principal with Leers Weinzapfel Associates Architects.
Unanticipated asbestos abatement can be a budget buster. Occupant relocation costs can be onerous if the college has to rent an off-campus facility. “You could spend $1 million or more to relocate for two years of construction time,” he says.
Niagara County Community College ran into an asbestos abatement problem in renovating the Rainbow Centre Mall in downtown Niagara Falls, N.Y. Originally constructed in the 1970s as a parking garage, the property fell into disuse and was donated to the college. The structure was a mess, says Peter C. McCarthy, LEED AP, Project Designer with CannonDesign. “It was leaking badly and had mold,” he says.
But the precast concrete structural components were still sound, and the design firm was able to devise plumbing and HVAC systems to fit the structural bones so that only minimal structural alterations were needed. A total gut rehab turned the building into the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute, which has since become a hot downtown destination for foodies, with two restaurants, a pastry shop, a wine shop, and a food-themed bookstore.
If all else fails, try turning to targeted grants. Niagara County CC used a $270,000 New York State Energy Research and Development Authority incentive grant to offset the cost of energy-efficiency measures, notably variable-speed kitchen exhaust hoods controlled by smoke sensors. In 2013, the school saved $38,000 in energy costs from its above-code systems and features.
The lesson: Building Teams would do well to help their college and university clients find grants and incentive programs to achieve best value on energy efficiency.
Learn more about higher education development trends in BD+C's Special Report, “How your firm can help struggling colleges and universities meet their building project goals.”
Related Stories
| Oct 15, 2014
Harvard launches ‘design-centric’ center for green buildings and cities
The impetus behind Harvard's Center for Green Buildings and Cities is what the design school’s dean, Mohsen Mostafavi, describes as a “rapidly urbanizing global economy,” in which cities are building new structures “on a massive scale.”
| Oct 14, 2014
Proven 6-step approach to treating historic windows
This course provides step-by-step prescriptive advice to architects, engineers, and contractors on when it makes sense to repair or rehabilitate existing windows, and when they should advise their building owner clients to consider replacement.
| Oct 12, 2014
AIA 2030 commitment: Five years on, are we any closer to net-zero?
This year marks the fifth anniversary of the American Institute of Architects’ effort to have architecture firms voluntarily pledge net-zero energy design for all their buildings by 2030.
| Sep 24, 2014
Architecture billings see continued strength, led by institutional sector
On the heels of recording its strongest pace of growth since 2007, there continues to be an increasing level of demand for design services signaled in the latest Architecture Billings Index.
| Sep 22, 2014
4 keys to effective post-occupancy evaluations
Perkins+Will's Janice Barnes covers the four steps that designers should take to create POEs that provide design direction and measure design effectiveness.
| Sep 22, 2014
Sound selections: 12 great choices for ceilings and acoustical walls
From metal mesh panels to concealed-suspension ceilings, here's our roundup of the latest acoustical ceiling and wall products.
| Sep 17, 2014
New hub on campus: Where learning is headed and what it means for the college campus
It seems that the most recent buildings to pop up on college campuses are trying to do more than just support academics. They are acting as hubs for all sorts of on-campus activities, writes Gensler's David Broz.
| Sep 15, 2014
Ranked: Top international AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Parsons Brinckerhoff, Gensler, and Jacobs top BD+C's rankings of U.S.-based design and construction firms with the most revenue from international projects, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.
| Sep 9, 2014
Using Facebook to transform workplace design
As part of our ongoing studies of how building design influences human behavior in today’s social media-driven world, HOK’s workplace strategists had an idea: Leverage the power of social media to collect data about how people feel about their workplaces and the type of spaces they need to succeed.
| Sep 7, 2014
Behind the scenes of integrated project delivery — successful tools and applications
The underlying variables and tools used to manage collaboration between teams is ultimately the driving for success with IPD, writes CBRE Healthcare's Megan Donham.