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
| Jun 1, 2012
New BD+C University Course on Insulated Metal Panels available
By completing this course, you earn 1.0 HSW/SD AIA Learning Units.
| Jun 1, 2012
K-State Olathe Innovation Campus receives LEED Silver
Aspects of the design included a curtain wall and punched openings allowing natural light deep into the building, regional materials were used, which minimized the need for heavy hauling, and much of the final material included pre and post-consumer recycled content.
| May 31, 2012
2011 Reconstruction Award Profile: Seegers Student Union at Muhlenberg College
Seegers Student Union at Muhlenberg College has been reconstructed to serve as the core of social life on campus.
| May 31, 2012
New School’s University Center in NYC topped out
16-story will provide new focal point for campus.
| May 31, 2012
Perkins+Will-designed engineering building at University of Buffalo opens
Clad in glass and copper-colored panels, the three-story building thrusts outward from the core of the campus to establish a new identity for the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the campus at large.
| May 29, 2012
Reconstruction Awards Entry Information
Download a PDF of the Entry Information at the bottom of this page.
| May 24, 2012
2012 Reconstruction Awards Entry Form
Download a PDF of the Entry Form at the bottom of this page.
| May 9, 2012
Shepley Bulfinch given IIDA Design award for Woodruff Library?
The design challenges included creating an entry sequence to orient patrons and highlight services; establishing a sense of identity visible from the exterior; and providing a flexible extended-hours access for part of the learning commons.
| May 8, 2012
Morgan/Harbour completes three projects at Columbia Centre
Projects completed on behalf of property owner, White Oak Realty Partners, LLC, Pearlmark Realty Partners, LLC and Angelo Gordon & Co.
| May 7, 2012
2012 BUILDING TEAM AWARDS: TD Ameritrade Park
The new stadium for the College World Series in Omaha combines big-league amenities within a traditional minor league atmosphere.