Several major construction projects have been completed or are about to wrap up on campus this semester. Other projects are moving along as anticipated. Read on for the latest updates.

Complete or Nearly Wrapped Up

The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design
The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design — a project seeking full certification under Living Building Challenge version 3.1 and meant to create solutions that address environmental and social concerns — was dedicated on October 24, 2019, and is now open for classes. Visit livingbuilding.gatech.edu/tours for information on taking a guided tour.

Price Gilbert and Crosland Tower Renewal
The total renovation of the Price Gilbert and Crosland Tower Library is nearly complete. Crosland Tower opened a year ago, and features eight stories of archives, classroom, study, and studio space for students, faculty, and staff.

The Price Gilbert renovation is expected to be complete in June. Once open, this building will enable full interior connectivity from the north entrance of the Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons to Cherry Street on the Historic Hill. The newly renovated building will feature physical and digital spaces that will facilitate networking opportunities and communities of interest.

In Progress

Eco-Commons
The sector at the corner of Hemphill and Ferst Drive is currently under construction as part of Tech’s overall 80-acre Eco-Commons project. This smaller eight-acre, park-like project will include a performance landscape and passive greenspace, which is expected to become the centerpiece for non-structured activities. The project will support Tech’s goal to reduce stormwater runoff by 50% by incorporating a stream channel to mimic historic waterflow while capturing stormwater for reuse and infiltration. The plans also call for more than 600 new trees, in addition to a broad spectrum of perennials and grasses. Demolition, grading, tree transplant, storm line and infiltration system activities are currently underway. To learn more about the Eco-Commons project, visit facilities.gatech.edu/ecocommons. July 2020 is the expected completion time frame.

Smart Labs Initiative
This initiative strives to improve the functionality of laboratory spaces in the Ford Environmental Science and Technology (ES&T) building and the U.A. Whitaker building by reducing energy consumption and creating a safer laboratory environment. The project is set up as a Guaranteed Energy Savings Performance Contract (GESPC) to increase operational efficiencies. Modifications will address demand-based ventilation strategies, HVAC controls and monitoring, and solve deferred maintenance issues. Fifty labs in ES&T have so far been updated. Scheduling of the Whitaker building labs is underway. There is a total of 150 labs in this project. Details concerning the plan can be found at facilities.gatech.edu/lab-vent. October 2020 is the expected completion time frame.

Howey Physics Lecture Halls
This project, which has been phased to reduce disruption to class time, includes upgrading the HVAC system, updating the restrooms, renovating lecture halls, and incorporating state-of-the-art technology and sound engineering throughout the building. Lecture Halls 3 and 4 are in progress, with Hall 2 closed and serving as a construction noise buffer. Hall 1 is open for classes. During the summer, all four lecture halls will undergo renovation. At the end of the summer, work in Lecture Halls 3 and 4 will be complete, and construction will shift to Lecture Halls 1 and 2 during the Fall 2020 semester. December 2020 is the expected completion time frame.

Campus Center
Through this project, the current Student Center will be transformed into a flexible space to better serve the needs of the entire campus. Ample space will be dedicated to social interaction, relaxation, creative expression, and support of our diverse community. Work on Phase I is only a few days behind schedule due to weather delays and is expected to conclude in early summer. When the Phase I buildings are complete, essential functions of the Student Center (such as Postal Services, Dining, and Student Center Administration) will move temporarily into the new buildings to continue operations when Phase II construction begins. Phase II construction will affect the area around the Student Center including the campanile plaza, diverting pedestrian traffic around the north end of the small amphitheater and along Ferst Drive to the south. During the transition between Phases I and II, construction traffic will increase in the southwest sector of campus as fencing and equipment are mobilized.

The New Exhibition Hall is currently accepting reservation requests at space.gatech.edu/gt-events.

September 2022 is the expected completion time frame.

Just Getting Started

CAMPUSWIDE DOOR ACCESS CONTROL UPGRADE PROGRAM
A plan to upgrade the current controlled access system on exterior and interior doors located in educational buildings is underway. The scope of work includes the replacement of existing hardware systems for more than 2,000 doors on campus. The campus currently has multiple access systems making it difficult to quickly secure buildings in the event of an emergency. This new access control solution contains a global management module and video surveillance capability. The current phase of work, consisting of 89 doors in the Manufacturing Related Disciplines Complex (MRDC) and the Love Manufacturing Building (MRDC II), is expected to be complete by the end of February. The next phase of access upgrades is scheduled to be complete by the end of July and includes the following buildings: Klaus Advanced Computing Building, College of Computing Building, J. L. Daniel Laboratory, Lyman Hall, Bill Moore Student Success Center, Stephen C. Hall Building, Weber Space Science and Technology Building, Chapin Building, Carnegie Building, David M. Smith Building, Cherry Emerson Building, Engineering Science and Mechanics Building, French Building, Guggenheim Aerospace Building, Holland Building, Montgomery Knight Building, Wardlaw Center, Evans Administrative Building (Tech Tower), and Coon Building.

June 2021 is the expected completion time frame.

Interior Renovations
Due to the recent relocation of employees to the Coda Building in Technology Square, several buildings on campus are being renovated to welcome new occupants.

The Center for 21st Century Universities (C21U) and the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC) are relocating to 505 10th Street. Renovations will soon begin to provide workspaces, which will allow program staff to operate in an efficient and collaborative manner. This includes creating access to necessary support spaces including storage, meeting rooms, workshops, and makerspaces for prototyping and testing. The project is currently in the preconstruction estimating phase and plans are to complete the renovations by August 2020.

In addition, plans are to renovate 45,000 square feet of interior space in the Klaus Advanced Computing Building and the Tech Square Research Building with improved workspaces, labs, and necessary support spaces for the Interdisciplinary Research Neighborhood (IRN) groups moving into these buildings. The project is currently in the preconstruction estimating phase, and plans are to complete the renovations by May 2021.