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Volume 72, Issue 77,
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
News Buildings get needed updates Fleming, E. Cullen being renovated;
science labs slated
by JARED BARNES
The scaffolds covering the Ezekiel W. Cullen Building, the cracked, open walkways nearby and the waterproofing work being done in the Fleming Building are all signs that the University's master plan is under way. "As you look at any campus that's growing, it's a good sign to see a lot of destruction going on, because that means construction is coming in and the campus is going to look better at the end of the day," Vice President for Administration and Finance John Rudley said. The recent campus renovations will aid in the realization of the UH master plan, a 20-year project to increase on-campus residencies and learning space and to attract more students to the University. Every year, $25 million is provided to the University through the Higher Education Assistance Fund, $10 million of which is allocated for renovation and repair projects, Rudley said. Current goals include installing a new water service system, replacing E. Cullen's mechanical system and completely renovating the science buildings. The removal of the knoll near E. Cullen was required to perform vital water system revisions. "It's going to get us a more reliable water service, plus it allows us to do the landscaping and entrance improvements we want to do as part of the (master) plan," Associate Vice President for Plant Operations David Irvin said. "Under the mound, there was a huge vault with a whole series of 80-year-old water pipes, 60-year-old water valves and water control pumps belonging to the city of Houston," Irvin said. The new system will alleviate previous problems with campus water pressure and leaking pipes. E. Cullen's mechanical system, which consists of the building's air conditioning and heating systems, is also being replaced. The project began December 2006 and will be finished in 2008. "E. Cullen is the most inefficient building we have on campus because it was designed in 1946," Irvin said. "The new mechanical system will save between 15 and 30 percent on heating and cooling costs." The project is prolonged by the fact that it requires the building to be unoccupied during renovations. "I would like to get things done twice as fast, but the No. 1 mission around here is to make sure the faculty, staff and students can teach, work and study in an environment conducive to learning, and you can't have jackhammers and noisemakers going on through the regular day," Rudley said. Last semester, the Fleming Building, which has had leakage problems in the past, suffered further damage when the waterproofing in the basement gave out. Flooded classrooms disrupted classes for several days. The University began replacing the waterproofing during the winter break. "We are working with various waterproofing experts to do it as economically as possible without having to dig out a moat all around the building," Irvin said. The Fleming Building and Science & Research 1 are scheduled for major renovations beginning in summer of 2008. "These buildings don't meet mechanical standards or electrical standards, and they're not laid out the way you want modern university science labs to be laid out," Irvin said. "We're going to gut the buildings, and when we're done, they're going to look brand new." Funding for these renovations will come from the state. The Texas Legislature approved $57 million in tuition revenue bonds for renovations to UH science labs during its last session. Once initiated, renovations are expected to take a year to complete. Information about current campus renovation projects is available at www.uh.edu/plantops/. Send comments to dcnews@mail.uh.edu |
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