With several of the University's icons under construction before the 2015-16 academic year, The Chronicle takes a look at the most notable renovation projects—past, present and future:
In Progress:
Marketplace
The East Union—home to Marketplace and Trinity Cafe—is undergoing its first renovation since 1995 to modernize the servery and create programming space. The $8 million project will allow Marketplace to offer fresher options—including a revamped salad bar and wood fired pizza oven. Classrooms built upstairs and downstairs will provide a place for students in FOCUS clusters to meet. Although the project was originally slated to be completed in the span of two summers, Dining Services is looking at time-saving opportunities to continue construction into the Fall and finish the project earlier without impacting service, said Director of Dining Services Robert Coffey.
“The renovations represent Duke Dining’s desire to present a great dining program by staying up-to-date with the menu and ambience," said Rick Johnson, assistant vice president of student affairs for housing, dining and residential life in March.
Edens
Renovations on the Edens Quadrangle, often considered one of the least desirable living spaces on campus, began in May and will add new areas for studying, gaming and fitness. In addition, the renovations will improve the common rooms, kitchens, laundry rooms and outdoor gathering spaces of the Edens residence halls. The $9 million project will also add a glassy entryway to ease students' travel to the main West Quadrangle and external glass features to improve the dorm's lighting. Internal renovations will be completed by the start of the Fall semester, and the entire project will be finished in early November.
Page Auditorium
After a full year of closure, Page Auditorium is set to reopen in the Fall. Although some of the renovations were cosmetic, such as updates on internal furnishings and refurbished seating, there will be also be greater handicapped accessibility. Due to erosion in the past 90 years, the concrete slab floor on which the auditorium was built had to be replaced, which delayed the project's completion. The renovations on the second-largest venue on campus were funded in part by an $80 million donation from the Charlotte-based Duke Endowment.
Construction of a glass entryway to the Bryan Center—which will allow for easier access and improved lighting in the building—is now projected to be completed in August. The approximately $3 million project meant the main entrance to the Bryan Center was closed after Spring Break, forcing students to take a detour through the University Store. The new entryway will be composed of a single set of doors and a glass encasing. The renovations were undertaken in an effort to make the entrance more prominent and match the design of other buildings, such as Penn Pavilion and the West Union.
“It’s all part of the overall plan to make better use of all the buildings surrounding the plaza providing both better functionality and aesthetics,” Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta said last October.
Chapel
Construction to replace the roof and make internal adjustments to the most iconic building on campus has begun and will continue until May 2016. The Chapel has not seen a major restoration since 1932 and requires a replacement of the lead-coated copper roofing, in addition to stabilization in some areas. Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.—a firm that previously worked on the restoration of the Washington Monument in 2011 and renovations to the Kennedy Center—is responsible for the engineering of the project. During the academic year, Chapel services will be held in Page Auditorium.
"There is never a good time to close Duke's most iconic building, but we're acting now to maintain and preserve the Chapel as one of the last great examples of neo-Gothic architecture on a collegiate campus," Executive Vice President Tallman Trask said in a Duke press release in April 2014.
Chapel Drive
For the first time since its original construction, Chapel Drive is undergoing construction to replace a base that has deteriorated and install a new granite curb and sidewalk. Work began immediately after graduation weekend and will continue until the start of the Fall semester.
Gross Hall Basement
The Foundry—a space for interdisciplinary innovation—will serve a variety of purposes with an optics lab and light machine shop, workbenches and project rooms. The 7,600 square-foot renovation is expected to be completed by the start of the Fall semester.
West Quad Landscaping
The landscaping project is to be completed in phases, but during the summer, the sidewalk in front of Perkins Library is being torn up and rebuilt to run from Kilgo Quadrangle to the Old Chemistry building.
Duke Brain Institute for Brain Sciences (DIBS)
In the former mechanical room in the basement of Levine Science and Research Center, an 11,000 square-foot space for event, teaching and collaborative work space is being constructed and will be completed by the Fall.
Student Health and Wellness Center
The Health and Wellness Center, which will unite Student Health, Counseling and Psychological Services, the Wellness Center and the Office of Case Management in a single facility, aims to be completed by Fall 2016. Featuring a pharmacy, acupuncture and massage therapy, the new facility hopes to address both the physical and mental health of students in a convenient location. The approximately $30 million, 70,000 square-foot center will be located across from Penn Pavilion on the corner of Union Drive and Towerview Road.
"The hope is that students will find the building to be conveniently located and that when they enter it, they immediately feel better," said Sue Wasiolek, assistant vice president for student affairs and dean of students, Oct. 10.
Near the future location of the Health and Wellness Center at the intersection of Towerview Road and Union Drive, crews have been working in the summer to install and relocate gas and hot water lines, in addition to centralizing the University's emergency power system. The utilities work has caused a major pedestrian detour on Towerview Road and is expected to continue until November.
Wallace Wade Stadium
Immediately after the Blue Devils finished the regular season with a 41-21 win against Wake Forest, construction began on Wallace Wade Stadium. The construction on Wallace Wade—the traditional commencement venue—forced a temporary relocation of the Class of 2015’s commencement ceremony to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The 85-year-old venue is undergoing a two-year renovation that is expected to total approximately $100 million, but the lowered playing surface will be ready in time for Duke's home opener Sept. 12. With the lowering of the stands, removal of the track and installation of a new video board also expected to be completed by the Fall, fans will have improved vantage points and plenty to look forward to down the road as well.
“I’m a big fan of this,” head coach David Cutcliffe said in December. “It will be a new stadium, but it will be recognizable as Wallace Wade Stadium.”
West Union
The West Union, long one of the most notable points of construction on campus, is expected to open in stages beginning Spring 2016 and with a complete opening coming Fall 2016. The $95 million project, in the works since 2007, includes the construction of social and study spaces in addition to eateries with a range of options. The new West Union is designed to meet the needs of a student body that has grown since its original construction in 1931 and will blend modern touches with the traditional architecture.
“It will be transformative to the opportunities students will have,” Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta said in February.
Cameron Indoor Stadium
For the first time in its storied 70-year history, Cameron Indoor is undergoing an expansion on its south side to expand an indoor entry space that will improve fan traffic and contain a memorabilia space. The $20 million project began in March and will take at least 15 months. Despite the external work, no changes will be made to the area surrounding the court or the entrance students use so that the stadium's authenticity is maintained.
“We’re hoping when we’re done, you didn’t really know what we did,” Executive President Tallman Trask said in March.
Rubenstein Library
Slated for a reopening in the Fall, the Rubenstein Library—home to the rare books and manuscripts collection—will have new stacks and special collection spaces in addition to study and collaborative work areas. The project faced the unexpected task of waterproofing the basement since the original building included trenches to deal with the water that flowed through during rainstorms.
Perkins Library
After more than a year of closure, the main entrance to Perkins Library will reopen August 24. The Fall will mark the completion of the Perkins Project, which has been in the works since late 2012.
Cameron Boulevard and Science Drive Parking Garage
With on-campus parking demands steadily increasing, the $53 million parking garage that will add 2,000 parking spaces is expected to be completed by August 2016 on the corner of Cameron Boulevard and Science Drive. Construction began in December 2014.
R. David Thomas Center Renovation
The executive conference center of the Fuqua School of Business has been under construction since February as the current space is renovated and a new five-story, 85 guest room tower and ballroom are installed. Located between Fuqua and the new parking garage being constructed on the corner of Cameron Boulevard and Science Drive, the new Thomas Center is expected to be completed in June 2016.
Recently completed:
Water Reclamation Pond
After delays due to a wet winter in 2014, the pond—located at the corner of Erwin Road and Towerview Drive—opened in May. The pond is expected to save the city of Durham approximately 100 million gallons of potable water each year. Duke is the first university in the nation to open a major storm water reuse facility, which will also save water and money by collecting rainwater that can be used in the process of making chilled water. It also features an exterior amphitheater, a bridge and a 0.6-mile long walking path.
The Edge was opened for student use on Jan. 5 after a $3.5 million renovation that began May 2014 and has become a popular study spot with its modern furnishings and group study spaces.
Still to come:
Construction of the 68,000-square-foot center is set to begin on Campus Drive this fall. The new facility will include painting studios, video production studios, dance rehearsal studios, a theater, a radio station and classrooms. It will also provide arts faculty and students with technology not accessible in other buildings on campus. The Arts Center will serve a niche on campus that has not been previously addressed, Scott Lindroth, vice provost for the arts, said in May, referring to it as a “game changer for the Arts at Duke.”
Engineering and Physics Facility
The recently announced project will build a 85,000 square-foot building to facilitate collaboration between engineering, natural sciences and liberal arts. Groundbreaking is expected to begin in Spring 2016.
“[The facility] will provide a physical home for Duke’s growing partnerships, helping our students develop the broad perspectives they need to become leaders and innovators,” President Richard Brodhead said in a Duke Today press release.
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