Construction continues across campus
September 28, 2005
Noelle Nightingale with Sarah Weigum
Leaky pink palace gets a makeover
TWU’s “on-campus commuters,” known as Northwest Building residents, had something to look forward to besides the Cog upon arriving on campus this year. Every Northwest resident will receive a free iPod Mini from the housing department to acknowledge the inconvenience residents face while living with scaffolding around their building.
Northwest is undergoing what Executive Assistant Glen Forrester refers to as an envelope repair. The exterior coating of the building was stripped off during the summer and new windows were put in. A new exterior will be added with a rain screen system to address what Forrester calls “leaky condo” syndrome. The project is scheduled to be completed by January 1. Meanwhile, Northwest residents must live with construction noise outside their windows.
According to Director of Housing Brad Wallbank, the iPod Minis aren’t “a reward. They’re a thank-you for putting up with the inconvenience.” Wallbank said the housing department wanted to be “proactive” in acknowledging the disruptive living situation and said he has received positive feedback from the Northwest residents he has spoken to. “Many [Northwest residents] were very, very excited.”
The iPod Minis will be given to every student who is still living in the building past the add/drop period.
Music building completion delayed
Music students will welcome the addition of a new music building to campus. The new facility that sits beside the condemned Calvin Hanson Chapel is designed to provide 12 music practice rooms and 12 faculty offices.
Although music students and McMillan residents alike can be grateful that practice rooms will no longer be in McMillan, music students will have to wait several weeks before the new building is available for use. According to Forrester, the plan to have the building ready for use by the start of school was unsuccessful due to the busy construction season. The practice rooms should be usable around September 27, and the faculty offices by October 4 or 5. In the meantime, the portables and atrium are being used for faculty offices and practice rooms.
The second floor of the building is just a “roughed in” shell at this point. Forrester said that it will be finished at a later date.
Dorm overhaul continues
The ongoing renovations to Douglas North are the most noticeable changes to dorm rooms this year. According to Wallbank, there was a complete retrofit of the common areas and washrooms. Forrester describes the new washrooms and lounges as a “huge improvement.” The washrooms in Douglas 4 and 5 were renovated as well; ventilation was improved and new showers and sinks were installed.
Forrester said that, like the music building, the Douglas project did not meet its start-of-school deadline because of the busy construction season. The students who will be living in the north wing this year are currently in Douglas 8 and 9, and should be in Douglas North by the end of the month.
In Douglas 6 and 7, two rooms were gutted and redone as show suites. Wallbank said that the plan is to redo all the rooms that way, but the housing office wants to get student feedback on details such as the carpet, bathroom, and paint before renovatING other rooms.
McMillan Hall was renovated so that all rooms are apartment-style housing for upperclassmen, a move that Wallbank says increases on-campus senior housing by 50 percent.
A sprinkler system was installed in Fraser Hall, ensuring student safety should one of the frequent fire alarms ever signify an actual fire.
CLC re-opens despite delays
The Centre for Life Calling and Career Development (CLC) re-opened its doors on September 19 after delayed renovations extended into the school year. Work on the centre began in July instead of June as planned, due to a shortage of trades people in British Columbia.
The renovations provide private computer carrels, workshop rooms, and more office space in the centre. The CLC gained square footage when the prayer room next door was turned into office space. The prayer room has been moved to Douglas Centre.
“We are creating a space that is more student friendly,” explained Mary Ellen Kuehl, Associate Director of the CLC. Kuehl said the centre’s new look compliments their mission to help students find the right major, career, and calling.
The CLC staff worked out of the Student Life office during the summer and the first few weeks of the fall semester. Advisors met with students outside, in the cafeteria, and in the atrium.
“I haven’t been able to meet with as many students as usual,” said Kuehl, who has been without an office since construction began. “But we’re doing what we need to do in a creative way.” The six student Career Peer Assistants have been working on individual projects, but will resume regular office hours now that the Centre is re-opened.
Despite the dust and construction workers, CLC staff members were able to hand out mugs to freshmen during O-Week as per tradition.
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