Office staff and some faculty have moved back into portions of the original building, the library is open and most student organizations are setting up in new or renovated space, but “the vast amount of teaching will be held in other parts of campus,” according to Brent Cotter, dean of Law. “We have a contingency plan that would take us through to Jan. 1, 2008, but it is our expectation that the new building will be ready for use in November.”

In an interview Aug. 27, Ron Cruikshank, associate director of major projects and engineering with the Facilities Management Division (FMD), said the building contractor was pushing hard to complete the work by the end of August, “but they’re not quite there yet.” The construction phase will be followed by a building commissioning process, a detailed review of the project “to make sure what you asked for is what you get – everything from data connections to mechanical systems.”

In the case of the Law expansion, the commissioning will closely examine the many sustainable features incorporated into the building to ensure optimal building performance, he said. That list of features is long and includes building materials with a recycled content, high performance glazing, exterior sunshades, a hydronic radiant heating and cooling system, low flow toilets, non-chilled water fountains, reduced artificial light levels, collection and storage points for recyclables, and a green roof sprouting perennials and hardy grasses.

While the University has led the way for some time in building energy efficiency into its infrastructure, Cruikshank said the Law project takes sustainability on campus a step further. And despite the many innovations included in the building, the project will come in at or below the $16.5 million budget, he said.

“Everybody has done a very good job of only really pushing for needs, not wants.”
The official opening of the renovated and expanded College of Law building is set for Nov. 29.

- from On Campus News, Sept. 7, 2007