Commencement often signals the start of the summer season – a slower pace and a chance to catch up on work that may have been pushed aside during the spring semester. But for Facilities Management (FM), summer is rarely slow. It is rather a time to take advantage of fewer people on campus and complete projects that could be more difficult or impossible to address during the fall and spring semesters.
With reduced campus occupancy, FM teams can perform maintenance, repairs, and improvements in classrooms and labs without disrupting daily academic activities. FM meticulously plans and coordinates the execution of these projects as far in advance as a year. By strategically utilizing this period, FM ensures that when faculty members and students return at the start of the fall semester, they can enjoy improved facilities that foster an optimal teaching and learning environment.
At the request of the Provost’s Office, this summer’s classroom/lab project list includes the renovation of seven classrooms and lecture halls, including rooms in the Chemistry Building, Taliaferro Hall, R.H. Smith School of Business, and the Toll Lecture Hall. Each classroom renovation is different but usually includes basics like flooring, wall and ceiling finishes, lighting, seating, and even mechanical (HVAC) and electrical work.
Five laboratories are also on the list, including three in the Department of Biology. Lab renovations may cover the same basic improvements but often offer additional challenges to FM teams. Because the number of research projects on campus has grown in recent years, upgrades are often performed in occupied labs, even in the summer. That means communication and collaboration are crucial. A miscommunication can cause the loss of years of research and put hundreds of thousands of dollars at risk.
Even in unoccupied labs, renovations can be very different from those in classrooms. Some labs require waterproof, seamless floors and waterproof light fixtures. Red lighting may be required in labs with animals whose eyes are sensitive to light. Electrical needs may also include emergency circuits to avoid problems during a power outage. FM teams may also have to ensure consistent temperature and humidity levels for stored chemicals.
Athletic facilities are also targeted for renovation, including a new scoreboard, press box, and lighting in the football stadium, as well as the relocation of Ludwig throwing field due to Purple Line construction.
Having fewer people on campus also enables the renovation of outdoor spaces. Some of the summer’s more visible outdoor projects include the repair of the McKeldin Library steps to the Mall and the rebuilding of the raised beds in the Community Learning Garden. A striking renovation of the West Chapel Garden will create a Dialogue Garden for Student Affairs, where nooks are being created that will host conversational groups of furnishings. Plantings will be enhanced as well.
From vital infrastructure upgrades to rejuvenating landscapes, this team of dedicated professionals is working throughout the summer to ensure that university grounds and buildings receive needed attention. When fall arrives and students and faculty return, they will be greeted by a campus that stands as a testament to the foresight and dedication of the Facilities Management team.