A more modern Duke has come close to fruition, as construction crews have been toiling to put the finishing touches on older renovations and lay the groundwork for new ones.
Sparkling renovated dorms, a brand-new engineering building and solar panels are just some of things students have to look forward to in the coming months and years. The Chronicle summarized the most recent updates on construction heading into the 2018-19 academic year:
Crowell Quad
The renovation of Crowell Quad—which started in the summer of 2017—will be wrapping up this summer, said Joe Gonzalez, assistant vice president of student affairs and dean for residential life.
He explained that much of the construction during the school year was focused on demolishing portions of the building’s interior and installing a central air conditioning system. The remaining work includes redoing bathrooms, remodeling common room kitchens, repairing and painting dorm room walls and installing new flooring in some portions of the building.
“With the Crowell renovation, we have run into unknowns,” Gonzalez said. “As you begin working on certain projects, you discover that more work needs to be done than you anticipated.”
The main issue he noted was the condition of the dorm’s roof. Although replacing the roof was not initially in the plans, it became necessary after workers observed its condition.
Completing the roof installation and putting the finishing touches on the dorm’s interior are all that remains before the renovation is complete—ideally at the end of June, Gonzalez said. It will be ready to house students in Fall 2018, he added.
Craven Quad
The renovation of Craven Quad began in the middle of May and will continue throughout the 2018-2019 academic year, displacing Craven residents to Few Quad and the 300 Swift apartment complex.
Gonzalez described the Craven renovations as “essentially the same project” as those in Crowell, including the installation of central air conditioning, bathroom remodeling, a new roof and renovated common rooms.
The Craven construction is slated for completion next summer, making it ready to house students in the Fall 2019 semester, he said.
The Hollows
Duke’s newest dorm complex, The Hollows, is part of the effort to phase out Central Campus by providing housing for around 500 to 550 additional students on West Campus.
Construction on the The Hollows began in the summer of 2017. In the past year, the work focused on establishing the foundation and framework of the dorm, Gonzalez explained.
“The hope is to have that building enclosed sometime this fall, and then the rest of the work would be interior," he said.
Project manager Hector Hernandez wrote in an email that a delay on the utilities permit from Durham has been the only major setback, but the dorm is still on track to be completed by July 2019. The goal is to complete the construction by next summer so that students can occupy the building for the Fall 2019 semester.
Larry Moneta, vice president for student affairs, announced in September that the University was seeking to move undergraduates off Central Campus to 300 Swift or West Campus by Fall 2019.
East Campus
Although most major construction is taking place on West Campus, there will also be renovations on East Campus this year.
Southgate will be closed for the upcoming academic year for installation of central air conditioning and sprinklers, Gonzalez explained. In addition, Epworth will be closed, but Jarvis and East House will house students from the Class of 2022, despite the completion of Trinity House.
“We’ll continue to use Jarvis and East," Gonzalez said. "Trinity is intended to replace Epworth, Jarvis and East, but we’re going to go ahead and use those buildings for a couple years as we get some of these large projects done.”
Trinity House opened in January 2018 after 18 months of construction.
Karsh Alumni and Visitors Center
The Karsh Alumni and Visitors Center project covers the renovation of a current building—the Forlines House along Chapel Drive—and construction of another building between Chapel Drive and Duke University Road.
The Forlines House is currently undergoing drywall installation, and the finishing work will soon start, project manager Sally Curtis wrote in an email.
Across Chapel Drive, the events building and its meeting pavilion are being enclosed, and the second floor of the office building is being poured with concrete. The center is on schedule to be completed in June 2019, she wrote.
Engineering Building
A new engineering building is set to be constructed near the intersections of Research Drive and Telcom Drive, just north of Bostock Library. The 150,000 square foot building will cost approximately $115 million, according to a press release.
Project manager Bill McGraw wrote in an email that utilities running through the construction site are being removed and the ground is being excavated to prepare for construction.
The building is scheduled for completion in Fall 2020 and will open for students and faculty in the Spring 2021 semester, McGraw wrote.
Research Drive Solar Panels
As a part of Duke's many sustainability measures, solar panels are coming to the Research Drive Parking Garage. The panels will sit on a canopy above the garage's top level and will be able to fully power the garage with some energy left over—the equivalent of taking 92 cars off the road, according to a press release.
The canopies facing north have been turned to face south, and the installation of the solar panels is just beginning, Hernandez—also the project manager for the Research Drive project—wrote in an email. He added that the project would be completed by July or August.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.