Renovations and upgrades are one way maintenance and engineering managers can make sure their college and university campuses remain on the cutting edge of sustainability and energy efficiency initiatives.
While renovations take time to plan and budget for, sometimes those plans can take an unexpected turn, as they did at Indiana University.
Renovations are underway for Indiana University Bloomington dorms McNutt and Foster, a full year earlier than planned because of a mold infestation.
IU spokesperson Chuck Carney said the university had already planned to renovate Foster, but the project was moved up a year because of issues with mold in the dorms, according to the Indiana Daily Student.
Residence halls will be getting completely new heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. He said the old HVAC systems in the rooms were part of what contributed to the mold growth problems.
“It’s not simply that we’re cleaning something up," Carney says. "We’re literally taking the old material out and replacing it and creating a new central heat and air and that will make a big difference in Foster and Mcnutt.”
Neither dorm will be in use during the 2019-2020 school year, but they will reopen for the fall semester in 2020. Extra housing options will be provided for the incoming students next year who will be living on campus, according to Indiana Public Media.
The renovations also include replacing building-wide systems such as heating distribution, chilled water and fire prevention, as well as new windows, roofs and electrical systems.
This $170 million is a portion of a $300 million student housing plan IU approved in 2018 to be completed over six years.
Ryan Berlin is digital content manager of Facilitiesnet.com.
