ASU campus changes while you were away this summer
Although the outside may seem familiar, inside the 81,900-square-foot Psychology Building on the Tempe campus is brand new.
During summer break, ASU Facilities Development and Management completed 71 projects across ASU campuses that totaled $122.2 million. Contractors finished renovation on five buildings this summer:
• Psychology Building
• Noble Science and Engineering Library
• Creativity Hall: ASU Preparatory Academy
• Sun Devil Stadium Phase 1
• Lake Havasu student housing
“Every space renovation or new construction project that the university undertakes has our students’ success in mind,” said Morgan R. Olsen, ASU executive vice president, treasurer and chief financial officer. "Our objective is to create living and learning spaces that are comfortable and functional so our students can easily collaborate with others and realize their academic goals.”
Top summer projects
Psychology Building renovation
Though the outside may seem familiar, inside the 81,900-square-foot Psychology Building on the Tempe campus is brand new. Original flooring, walls and ceilings were replaced with new interior walls, flooring, ceiling, stair handrails, guard rails, electrical and plumbing systems, new fire sprinkler and fire alarm systems, audio/video and security. Energy-efficient systems replace the original mechanical/HVAC systems. Square feet renovated: 81,900.
Noble Science and Engineering Library water-damage restoration
A sprinkler malfunction in March 2015 caused the shutdown of the Tempe campus Noble Library throughout the summer. There were no books lost in the flooding. Four months later, the library is newly renovated, including a new sprinkler and fire alarm systems, furniture, carpet and waste lines. Additionally, an energy-efficient lighting replacement project was funded by SIRF, the Sustainability Initiatives Revolving Fund. SIRF has three tiers and is available to all ASU community members who present projects that foster and enable sustainability efforts and provide an economic return on investment. Square feet renovated: 102,000.
Creativity Hall: ASU Preparatory Academy
The final phase of ASU Preparatory Academy at Creativity Hall on the Polytechnic campus is now complete. Phase three of the charter school added 18,000 square feet inside, an additional 10 classrooms and 25,000 square feet devoted to an outdoor school playground. The building additions bring the ASU Preparatory Academy’s capacity enrollment at the Polytechnic campus location to 705 students. Total square feet added: 43,000.
The ASU Sun Devil Stadium is undergoing a comprehensive, three-phase renovation. The 100,000 gross-square-foot Phase 1 renovation encompasses the following changes:
• enhanced technological capability to boost cellular and wireless connectivity
• a new student section at the south end zone; a continuous concrete lower-seating bowl that reaches all the way around the stadium
• a reconfigured south end that includes dedicated student entrances, seating and standing areas, restrooms, enhanced concessions and food service, and band seating with access to the field
• the main concourse will connect at the south end and optimize the use of concessions, restrooms, the pedestrian walkway and vertical circulation for stadium patrons and operations
• limited demolition in the north end zone upper seating will allow the future phases to meet their scheduled completion dates.
Work will not interfere with Sun Devil fans enjoying their favorite team during the 2015 football season. The Sun Devil Stadium renovation is slated for completion in fall 2017. Square feet renovated: 100,000.
Lake Havasu Student Housing
Twenty rooms within Lake Havasu Student Housing, formerly known as the Economy Inn, have been refreshed and converted into ASU residential suites.
Two of the suites were converted to full ADA accessibility. Work included furniture, fire alarms, paint, doors and windows, electrical upgrades and concrete work. Square feet renovated in Phase 1: 7,088.
Central Plant Primary Switches
The 40-year-old electrical system controls that keep the Tempe campus cool, comfortable, hydrated and lighted have been replaced with a new, state-of-the-art, energy-efficient electrical distribution system. Due to the Central Plant’s critical nature to the function of the Tempe campus, minimal downtime was required to switch over to new equipment. Extensive planning, several practices and working nights for only six days contributed to the successful switchover.
Access Management — Phase 3
The Walk-Only Zones project is designed to enhance pedestrian safety and to reduce accidents between pedestrians and wheeled vehicles on campus malls. Phase three completes the Tempe campus project. Phase three established a third Walk-Only Zone that includes the following enhancements:
• bicycle storage and valet facilities
• card-access wrench lockers
• consolidated open-bike parking and skateboard racks at designated academic buildings.
• graphics and signage
• traffic-control bollards
Learn more about Walk-Only Zones at walk.asu.edu.
Additional facilities projects included:
• electrical and infrastructure upgrades
• laboratory and office renovations:
- 3,507 square feet in Downtown campus Mercado C building: finishes and furniture updates to two classrooms
- 2,990 square feet in three West campus classrooms: AV, finishes and updates
- 2,472 square feet in Poly Simulator Building: finishes to three classrooms
- 1,858 square feet in Tempe Business Administration building: new carpet in two classrooms
- 1,789 square feet in Tempe campus Social Sciences 105: new furniture, instructor station and AV updates
- 1,644 square feet in Tempe campus Computing Commons: build-out of new 60-plus-seat classrooms
• The Barry M. Goldwater Center for Science and Engineering interior painting
• 1,957 rooms were prepared for occupancy by residential maintenance staff
• production and installation of 11 new campus directories
• the spring 2015 Ditch the Dumpster campaign diverted 29 percent of move-out waste from the landfill
• parking upgrades
• campus art maintenance
• College Avenue Commons completed the site feature enhancements on the ground plane: planters and wall accents
• Farmer Education Building courtyard renovations included concrete deck recondition, new planters, plant material refresh and fountain renovation
“All these facilities projects were a tremendous amount of work,” said Bruce Jensen, ASU Capital Programs Management Group director. “We are grateful for everyone’s efforts and hard work. A large team of people played a role in making these projects successful — academic units, administration, staff, project managers, contractors and workers.”
To see more ASU solar, renovation and new construction projects, watch ASU’s Changing Skyline, a recent ASU Alumni Association-produced video. Learn more about ASU’s past, present and future construction projects on the Facilities Development and Management website and follow them on Twitter: @ASUfacilities.