Track Alter Hall progress by viewing the AlterCam.
“Dirty Jobs” Underway in Speakman Hall
May 19th, 2008 ( Permalink )Beginning May 16, demolition and construction crews were hard at work preparing the 1st and 2nd floors of Speakman Hall for new smart classrooms and terrazzo floors that will match finishes and technologies to be found in Alter Hall. Below is a quick slide tour of “abatement” to remove old floor tiles, temporary walls built to protect the interior during the demolition of two entrances, and “deconstruction” of Speakman classrooms.
Dirty Jobs Begin In Speakman from John DeAngelo on Vimeo.
13th Street Speakman Entrance To Close
May 14th, 2008 ( Permalink )
Beginning Thursday, May 15, work on a new facade for the 13th Street entrance to Speakman Hall will begin, requiring that that the current entrance close for much of the summer. During construction you must use the handicapped entrance on the Northwest corner of Speakman Hall opposite Shusterman Hall.
The Liacouras Walk entrance facade will also be removed in the next 7-10 days, after which the handicapped entrance will be the only way to enter and exit the building.
All summer classes originally scheduled in Speakman have been moved to other buildings. Undergraduate enrollment, advising and honors have been temporarily relocated to the 4th floor of SAC II.
Meanwhile, Back in Speakman
May 12th, 2008 ( Permalink )Crews have finished removing tile from the 2nd and 1st floor corridors in preparation for laying terrazzo flooring on both levels, a process that is expected to take 8-10 weeks.
Another Building Tour
May 10th, 2008 ( Permalink )This past Wednesday, a small group of us toured Alter Hall. Progress on all floors is substantial, with drywall completed in many spaces, and framing for classrooms, lecture halls and the auditorium sufficient enough to reflect the spaces they will soon become.
In the photo above, Fox Director of Computer Services Vik Singh shares notes with Special Events Coordinator Nancy Korotkin outside of one of the 15 undergraduate breakout rooms on the 2nd floor.
West Wall Revealed
May 1st, 2008 ( Permalink )Some of the scaffolding on the lower three levels has come down on the Liacouras side of Alter Hall exposing recently completed brick work. Also pictured is the second floor undergraduate student lounge outside collaboration/breakout rooms, and a third floor area where several members of the Dean’s Office will reside.
A Year of Progress
April 17th, 2008 ( Permalink )To appreciate how far L.F. Driscoll and the contractors have progressed from last April until now, you have only to compare the two images below. The one at left was shot April 25,
2007, the one at right, April 17, 2008. Basically, the Alter site was a big hole!
Today those walls are in place, and the brick, glass, and stone facade is nearly completed. By summer most of the exterior work will have been done while interior work is progressing nicely.
Then There Was Glass
April 16th, 2008 ( Permalink )Those construction devils snuck in some glass while I had my back turned. This photo shows placement of the first glass in the “punched” windows on the north side of Alter Hall.
With temperature in the 70s and trees blossoming all over campus, I wandered out on Liacouras Walk and caught a glimpse of Alter Hall looking south.
Tinted Glass Delivered
April 3rd, 2008 ( Permalink )Today crews began off-loading crates of tinted glass to be used in Alter Hall window frames and for the curtain walls on the north and south sides.
I have been asked many times, “Is Alter Hall on schedule?” YES. While the outside appears incomplete, work inside is pretty far along. Sheet rock is up on floors 1-5, and metal studs are in place on the others. We are still projecting spring ‘09 as the date when Alter Hall will open for classes.
Tinted Glass from John DeAngelo on Vimeo.
Auditorium Walls Take Shape
March 24th, 2008 ( Permalink )
Here on the lower level you can see metal studs forming the exterior wall of the 270-seat auditorium. You can also see a curving staircase leading to the main entrance at the south side of the building facing Montgomery Avenue.
The Brickman Cometh
March 10th, 2008 ( Permalink )With apologies to Eugene O’Neil, I want you to take a closer look at floors 4-6 on the north side of Alter Hall adjoining Speakman. Notice the completed brick face. Pretty soon window frames will be delivered (not the windows themselves), and the brick work will spread to the south side of Alter Hall. The views below are of the Montgomery Street (L) and Liacouras Walk (R) sides looking toward center city.
John DeAngelo