Makeover to change look of O’Dowd Hall
O'Dowd Hall is leaking air and costing money. It's due for a facelift. PHOTO/MIKE ESPEJO
BY MIKE ESPEJO
OU News Service
O’Dowd Hall, the unmistakable mirrored building in the center of Oakland University’s campus, will soon get a facelift, losing its trademark glass exterior in the process.
The building will undergo interior and exterior repairs and redesigns in 2012, including the replacement of many of its windows with a more-efficient metal panel system.
“The project is a result of numerous years of water and air leaks into the building,” said Terry Stolsteimer, associate vice president of facilities management.
O’Dowd Hall, with its large windows, is equipped with a curtain system to help with energy conservation. The system, however, is inefficient.
“The curtain wall system has run its life,” Stolsteimer said. “We will be removing and replacing the exterior curtain wall system. We are stepping up to correct the badly needed energy conservation measures ”
In addition to the window removal and redesign, crews will repair atrium skylights and work on masonry in the lower levels. The project will begin in May and take about nine months to complete.
Crews will repair the atrium skylights in O'Dowd Hall in 2012. PHOTO/MIKE ESPEJO
When the project was proposed to the Board of Trustees in August, a minor controversy arose over the redesign.
Two options were presented: One kept the familiar windows. Another, eventually adopted, redesigned the exterior of the building.
Student liaison Max VanRaaphorst argued in favor of keeping the original exterior design because it acts as a contrast to the rest of the architecture on campus and provides a good landmark for giving directions for parents, new students and visitors.
The final design was chosen for its efficiency and for its resemblance of other buildings on campus, according to Trustee Jacqueline Long.
The projects budget is not to exceed $5 million and will be contracted through DeMaria Building Company of Novi.
O’Dowd Hall is home to the school of nursing and school of medicine, as well as lecture halls and offices for the departments of philosophy, English, film studies and others.Tweet
Short URL: http://www.ounewsbureau.com/?p=1741
Posted by admin
on Dec 27 2011. Filed under Featured article, Oakland U..
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
You can leave a response or trackback to this entry