Oregon State University

School Celebrates Biggest Construction Boom in Its History

University in the midst of major construction work.

by Melody Finnemore

With about $200 million in renovations and new construction currently underway on the Oregon State University campus in Corvallis, it's no wonder those in the university's facilities department feel like they're attempting an acrobatic feat.

"It's sort of like you've got to fix the airplane while it's flying," said Jim Lloyd, OSU's associate vice president of finance and administration and facilities director. "This is the biggest construction boom in the university's history. It's definitely keeping us hopping."

Major fundraising campaigns launched renovations of Weatherford Hall, Reser Stadium, the Dixon Recreational Center and the College of Veterinary Medicine, as well as the construction of the new Kelley Engineering Center. The projects - all of which involve some level of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification - will be carried out while students, faculty and staff continue to go about their business on campus.

"Safety and noise abatement are some of the issues we're dealing with," Lloyd said. "We've also had to be very diligent in phasing the construction and staging the delivery of the materials. We have a limited amount of space for parking for our own students and faculty, so finding places for all of the contractors and their staff to park is quite a challenge."

The coming years aren't likely to bring much relief, either. The facilities department will seek approval to begin work on a trio of new projects during the next two years. The new projects include a $40 million steam plant that also will generate electricity, a $50 million research building, and more than $200 million in deferred maintenance for older buildings.

"There's been a lot of controversy about why we build all these beautiful, new buildings when we have other buildings that are 100 years old and are kind of falling apart," Lloyd said. "The deferred maintenance program will bring those old buildings up to code, upgrade the facades and enhance student access.

"There are going to be a lot of contractors around for quite a while."

Kelley Engineering Center

Construction on the $45 million Kelley Engineering Center began in August 2003 after Martin N. Kelley, a 1950 graduate from OSU's civil engineering program and retired vice president and chief engineer at Peter Kiewit Sons Inc., donated $20 million for the project. Money authorized by the state legislature made up the other half of the funding package.

The new Kelley Engineering Center's full-height atrium splits the building into north and south halves. ( Image courtesy of Skanska USA Building Inc. )

When completed in July 2005, the 153,000-sq.-ft. building will feature three stories on one side and four levels on the other, with a glass atrium dividing the two. Portland's Yost Grube Hall Architecture and KPFF Consulting Engineers are working with Skanska USA Building Inc. of Beaverton, Ore., on the project.

Skanska recently completed the bulk of the concrete work, which presented some of the project's biggest challenges, said Steve Clem, project manager.

"It's a poured-in-place concrete structure and most of the concrete will be architecturally exposed, so great care had to be taken not only to protect the aesthetic appeal but also for overall maintenance purposes," he said.

Skanska now will begin adding the building's exterior skin and interior finishes.

"The flooring has raised access for computers, and the finished floor is about 18 inches higher than the foundation," Clem said. "You wouldn't know it just by standing in your office, but there are quite a bit of mechanical engineering and ventilation systems beneath the floor. There's obviously a coordination challenge that goes along with that."

Designed for gold LEED certification, the building utilizes rainwater recovery and natural ventilation as well as heating water and generating electricity through solar power.

"The interesting thing for me is it's got a little bit of everything," Clem said. "Green building is definitely the wave of the future, and it's great to be a part of a project that incorporates all of those aspects."

Lloyd said the building enhances the university's drive to create one of the nation's leading engineering schools.

"The engineering program on campus is expanding rapidly and the building will accommodate that expansion. The program also is striving to become one of the top-tier programs in the country, so the facility will mirror top-tier status," he said.

Dixon Recreation Center

After nearly two decades on the drawing board, the final phase of improvements for Dixon Recreation Center recently was completed. Slayden Construction Inc. of Stayton, Ore., finished the $17-million addition in May, providing a new basketball complex, racquetball courts, jogging track, outdoor recreation center, and an area for weight lifting and cardiovascular machines.

The center's phased development began in 1974 with construction of a gymnasium. The final phase has been planned since 1986, but financial restrictions required it to be divided into two stages. The Stevens Natatorium, which features an eight-lane lap pool, diving well, spa, full-service locker rooms and other aquatic facilities, was added in 1992. The final stage, designed by Yost Grube Hall Architecture, began in January 2002.

OSU's Dixon Recreation Center was completed earlier this year. The $17 million addition provides a new basketball complex, racquetball courts, jogging track, outdoor recreation center, and an area for weight lifting and cardiovascular machines. ( Photo courtesy of Slayden Construction )

A system of temporary corridors, exits and entrances ensured that the facility remained open while Slayden undertook about 60,000 sq. ft. of new construction and 20,000 sq. ft. of remodels, said Todd Woodley, the company's president.

"One of our biggest challenges involved a four-story rock climbing gym that is built under and around the third and fourth floor," he said. "We had to hold the racquetball court up with a steel support beam while we built the rock climbing gym under and around the racquetball courts."

When Dixon Recreation Center opened in 1976, it was one of the first facilities of its kind on the West Coast, according to OSU officials. However, the rise in enrollment and students' growing interest in health and exercise drove the need for the expansion, which was funded by student fees, Lloyd said.

The remodels will improve student space for intramurals, sport clubs, lounges, meeting rooms and a program that combines athletic training, physical therapy and fitness services.

Weatherford Hall

The interior work on Weatherford Hall is nearly complete, and landscaping and hardscape work will soon begin as Portland's Howard S. Wright Construction Co. works to complete the renovation in time for classes this fall.

Once completed in August, the $18-million renovation will help the venerable residential hall regain its status as a historic treasure and transform it into OSU's first residential college.

Built in 1928 as a men's dormitory, Weatherford Hall was shut down in 1994 because of its aged infrastructure. By the time students return for classes, the 100,000-sq.-ft. structure will feature updated residential space and will house the new Austin Entrepreneurship Program, classrooms, a cyber cafe and suites for visiting lecturers and entrepreneurs.

The $18 million Weatherford Hall renovation will be complete in time for classes this fall. ( Photo courtesy of Howard S. Wright Construction Co. )

Project manager Joel Freeman, an OSU grad, said it's been a great experience to watch the renovation breathe new life into Weatherford Hall. It has also tested Howard S. Wright, along with Portland's SERA Architects Inc. and KPFF Consulting Engineers, to complete the project on an aggressive schedule. Construction started in June 2003.

"Demolition of the interior was a major landmark," he said. "At that point, we understood the building a whole lot better."

Along with gutting the interior plaster to make room for the new classrooms and 24-hour cyber cafe, the renovation included upgrades to the structural, plumbing and electrical systems. Weatherford Hall was built with unreinforced concrete with a brick veneer exterior, so seismic support also played a large role in the project.

Dan Pelissier, senior project manager, said the renovation involves many diverse interests, each with high expectations for the project.

"There are a lot of stakeholders on this project," he said. "There are the historic preservation stakeholders, the facilities stakeholders, the student stakeholders and the business college stakeholders. Just aligning all of those people with all of those interests has been very interesting."

In addition, the environmental components built into the project add another dimension to its complexity.

"OSU has taken a real strong stance with building green. One of the things that has impressed me is that, even though we were challenged by our budget, they never considered taking those green aspects off the table," Pelissier said. "It's so easy to do that when you've got a tight budget, but they never even thought about it."

Reser Stadium

An additional 8,000 Beaver fans will be able to watch their team play football once a $93 million expansion of Reser Stadium is completed in August 2005.

A joint venture between Wildish Construction Co. of Eugene, Ore., and Hunt Construction Group's San Francisco office, the expansion began in May with the demolition of the existing east stadium. The project will add 300,000 sq. ft. on four levels, a 10,000-sq.-ft. Founders Club level, a 30,000-sq.-ft. club level, a suite level with 22 suites and a main concourse with concessions and restrooms.

Hunt Wildish was given about 16 months to complete a project that normally would take 18 months. In addition, much of the work will be done during the 2004 football season, said Bob Hart, project executive.

"The timing is where this gets delicate," he said. "Getting people in and around the construction site is obviously going to be a challenge."

Built in 1952 and originally called Parker Stadium, the stadium seated about 25,000 people. When the expansion is complete, Reser Stadium will seat 43,000.

HNTB Architecture of Los Angeles designed the project, and KPFF Consulting Engineers is the project engineer.

College of Veterinary Medicine

The expansion of the veterinary school at Macgruder Hall is one of the smaller projects underway at OSU, but it may also be one of the more trying.

The project's budget of $10 million required that the expansion be designed and put out for bid in phases. When Portland's Lease Crutcher Lewis began its work in July 2003, a worldwide steel crisis delayed delivery of heavy-gauge metal studs it needed to build the project, said Joe Vlastelicia, project manager.

When finished this fall, the expansion will add space for a small animal hospital. Since the college was established in the mid-1970s, students have had to travel elsewhere for classes in small animal medicine.

"Students used to have to go to Washington State University to get that part of their veterinary education," Vlastelicia said. "Now they will be able to stay at OSU for all four years."

SRG Partnership of Portland designed the expansion, KPFF Consulting Engineers is the structural engineer, and Balhiser & Hubbard Engineers of Eugene is the civil and electrical engineer.

A future expansion to the college's large animal hospital will include an isolation area for animals with communicable diseases, exam rooms, patient stalls, an imaging area, research space, offices, and storage space.

OSU officials said the indoor exam area is especially important because it will allow staff to evaluate animals in a controlled space. Currently, staff must evaluate horses for lameness in the parking lot, which is potentially dangerous for the horses and the people around them and is difficult during bad weather.

The indoor space, which will include a treadmill, also will allow the hospital's staff to monitor respiratory and physiological conditions that occur while horses are exercising. The indoor arena and treadmill will aid in equine sports medicine research.