Facing page: The site lent itself to a slight cant to one leg of the building, making for a more spacious courtyard for students on the south side.
Prefabrication Streamlines Construction Designed to house 290 underclassmen, the new construction began in July 2013 and was completed before students arrived in August 2014. “The use of prefabrication was all about the schedule,” explains Sandridge. “The added benefit is the controlled environment that improves quality and accuracy. Subcontractors are not on top of each other in the field. There were a lot of benefits to this modular system.” “We worked within the context of precast bearing and demising walls, so it was actually a very nice system and did not inhibit our design creativity,” he says. “The only restrictions were to accommodate transportation of the panels. It was very flexible in the design and architectural vocabulary we were working within.” “In addition to the low-maintenance feature of precast, it also lent itself to improved acoustics in Beacon Hall. It separates the suites and dampens sound transmission from floor to floor,” adds Sandridge. The new residence hall also offers the safety and security of precast concrete construction to students and facilities personnel. It resists fire, mold growth, and pests while requiring minimal maintenance. More important to students today, precast concrete does not interfere with radio signals. Precast concrete is Wi-Fi-friendly; a good internet connection in every corner of the building is one of the most vital prerequisites for student life.
Above: The residence hall features a wide range of flexible common areas including study spaces, computer rooms, a nondenominational prayer room, laundry rooms, kitchenettes, ping-pong and billiards room, and an outdoor courtyard. Photos: Mariusz Mizera.
Greika recalls they first saw the drawings at 50% of design development stage. “We spent a fair amount of time working out the details for chase locations, where loads could be transferred down to the foundation, brick coursing, etc. Inside and out we had to nail down the decisions due to the accelerated schedule.” Coreslab proposed the use of Metrobrick® thin brick as the best match to campus architecture. “Because of the lead time for thin brick, it was imperative to select the right color and texture quickly. Any delay with the decision could affect our precast production schedule,” says Greika. “The decision to use concrete surrounds at every window saved time and money by eliminating corner bricks as much as possible,” he adds. “It also provided a nice accent to the punched windows. The projections had to be cast monolithically as large tub pieces which could be supported off the structure. That completed the Gothic features of the residence building.”
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ASCENT, WINTER 2019