University of Alabama updates

[atlanta68]

It's called harmony of architectural styles. Personally, I think the Ferg was ugly. This renovation will be in greater harmony with the Greek Revival style around campus.

[ttownfeen]

There's harmony, and there's monotony. This current trend on campus has gone way way past monotony.

[ttownfeen]

Aeriel view of the Ferg addition. See how it's sticking out garishly from the original structure?

[atlanta68]

obtrusively bright and showy; lurid. = garish

I don't see that in this picture, but to each his own. I like the glass pyramid on top. I think it connects the modern style of the Ferg with the expansion. Now it will really be interesting to see how they renovate and expand the north side of the Gorgas library. Across the street is Victorian architecture, so not sure that the Greek Revival style will be strictly followed.

[ttownfeen]

I took some photos of the new rec center. Looks real nice from the river park.

[atlanta68]

That is nice looking indeed! Working out there will be such a nice treat for the students. Will it be reserved only for residents of Presidential Village I wonder?

[ttownfeen]

Originally Posted by atlanta68

obtrusively bright and showy; lurid. = garish

I don't see that in this picture, but to each his own. I like the glass pyramid on top. I think it connects the modern style of the Ferg with the expansion. Now it will really be interesting to see how they renovate and expand the north side of the Gorgas library. Across the street is Victorian architecture, so not sure that the Greek Revival style will be strictly followed.

The new architecture I can chalk up to the differences in taste. No sense arguing about that. But this thing where they add additions in completely different styles is truly awful. I'd rather they just tear the whole thing down and rebuild it.

[atlanta68]

I love the combo of modern glass design and columns in that last pic. The South Engineering Research Center has a similar style. I too don't want carbon copies of the existing buildings. I actually think the North facade of BDS is not as attractive as the South side, because it lacks columns.

[shawnbear370]

can anybody in the tuscaloosa area take some updated pics of all the construction going on...would love to see it.

[TheCapstone]

Its from Crimson&White, but it does talk about new development and construction going on at UA.

Su Gupta, associate professor of metallurgical and materials engineering, directs a campus-wide user facility called the UA Micro-Fabrication Facility. If you look for it today, you can find it in the Bevill Building.

“Part of H. M. Comer Hall, that originally housed the MFF, had to be demolished to make room for NERC, so the facility had to be temporarily relocated to the MINT clean room in Bevill for three years,” she said. “I am grateful that the Vice-President of Research provided funds for the temporary set-up of the facility in Bevill, which allowed us to remain functional for the past three years.”

Ultimately, the MFF will be housed in the North Engineering Research Center, forcing a second move to a “beautiful, large clean room facility.” Shelby Quad was completed last August after nearly 10 years of construction and four new buildings.

“The progress and growth of campus is very impressive, especially with the completion of the Shelby Science and Engineering quad last summer,” Gupta said. “I am very glad the engineering [facilities are] mostly complete. I am very happy with the new clean room facility and cannot wait to become fully functional in there, by August we hope.”

She said bringing facilities and equipment on line has been a little slow, but she expects the process to be complete by the end of the summer. While the sights and sounds of construction may be leaving the Shelby Quad, students can expect work around the adjacent Ferguson Center area to continue throughout the summer.

Tim Leopard, assistant vice president of UA Facilities, said there is an intentional effort to increase construction activity during the summer, when fewer students will be impacted.

“The level of construction definitely impacts the access and usability,” he said. “[One] of our core goals for our projects is to minimize any potential impact to the teaching and learning environment.”

In addition, Leopard said, communications concerning construction are added. Signs directing visitors and newsletters for faculty are used to inform and update, while the Campus Tour section of the UA website offers information about road closures.

According to Dialog, the faculty/staff newsletter, the expanded building will include office space for the Career Center, Community Service Center, Crossroads Community Center, Greek Affairs, Student Government Association, Student Involvement and Leadership and University programs. There will also be a renovated food court, with the Fresh Foods Company that was previously located in the Ferguson Center moving across the street to its own building.

Cathy Andreen, director of media relations, said the Ferguson Center will reopen in August. For the summer, offices have temporarily relocated across campus.

“All areas of Ferguson are closed this summer except for the SupeStore, Mail Center and Starbucks,” she said.

Leopard said students can expect any disruption or inconvenience in the Ferguson Center and Shelby Quad area – as well as around Presidential Village, where a new residential hall will be open next semester – to be gone by the fall, but construction on other parts of campus will be ongoing.

“The Magnolia area and Barnwell area will continue to be challenged,” he said. “We’re starting a new parking deck there [and] we’re [starting construction on] more sorority houses there, so that area will continue to be busy, as will the Coleman Coliseum baseball area once we start baseball construction.”

The $35 million expansion of the Sewell-Thomas Stadium is one of several projects detailed in Dialog, including a 2,000 seat academic building behind Shelby Hall – slated to begin construction in early 2015 – and a performing arts center on Bryce property.

Leopard points to the renovation of Houser Hall, scheduled to be completed by August 2015, as an example of the type of construction happening on campus. The new building will house the expanded services of the Veteran’s and Military Affairs Center, just as the Ferguson Center addition will house expanded services in the Career Center. Campus construction is about more than just growth, he said.

“I think all of [our projects], or almost all of them, represent meeting or improving existing program services and accommodating growth. The programs are growing, too,” he said. “I think all of our projects bridge between [meeting existing needs and growth].”

http://cw.ua.edu/2014/06/04/construction-continues/

[TheCapstone]

Team from the University of Alabama won the NASA robotics competition.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/articl...petition&tc=ar

[TheCapstone]

University of Alabama board of trustees to consider tuition hike, construction projects

The board of trustees for the University of Alabama System is scheduled to consider a tuition increase for the 2014-15 school year and proposed construction projects, including new digital signage and sales terminals in Bryant-Denny Stadium, when it meets today and Friday.

Details about the proposed tuition increase are expected to be released at today's meeting.

The board's finance, physical properties and academic affairs committees are scheduled to meet today. Once approved by the committees, the agenda items will go before the full board on Friday.

The physical properties committee is set to consider a resolution authorizing the purchase of $2.5 million in digital signage, digital menu boards and a point-of-sale system for Bryant-Denny Stadium. The proposal includes 246 televisions and 300 sales terminals. The contracts for the purchase of the equipment would be awarded pursuant to the state's bid law.

The committee will also consider a resolution to begin preliminary planning for a $5.2 million, 13,281-square-foot retail center on Bryant Drive by Tutwiler Hall at the former site of the Corner Store and the existing location of the Bryant dance studio, which would eventually be demolished to make way for the new building. The retail center will house the University Supply Store branch relocated from Tutwiler Hall and a new Starbucks.

Also among the resolutions before the committee is a proposal to authorize the negotiation of an agreement for architectural services for the $20 million Bryce Administration building renovation.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/articl...31?tc=cr&tc=ar

[TheCapstone]

Originally Posted by shawnbear370

can anybody in the tuscaloosa area take some updated pics of all the construction going on...would love to see it.

I will soon. I've took some pics of the new apartment complex on University Blvd, and then some of the Embassy Suites. I always forget to of the Ferguson Center, but I check that out. Been more interested in the new development going on downtown really.

[atlanta68]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XL6FJxlMXD4 What do yall think? I don't know if this is the official design or if the person who posted this video just made it up. But I think it looks great. I was wondering how they would renovate the backside of Gorgas Library, and keep it in harmony with the new design specs, given the height of the library's backside, but I think this works. We have been hearing about this upcoming addition since 2010, but I haven't seen any mention of an impending start date for the project. Maybe they want to build that South Parking Deck first, to ease the parking crunch before they remove so much parking to complete the library and plaza project.

[TheCapstone]

Originally Posted by atlanta68

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XL6FJxlMXD4 What do yall think? I don't know if this is the official design or if the person who posted this video just made it up. But I think it looks great. I was wondering how they would renovate the backside of Gorgas Library, and keep it in harmony with the new design specs, given the height of the library's backside, but I think this works. We have been hearing about this upcoming addition since 2010, but I haven't seen any mention of an impending start date for the project. Maybe they want to build that South Parking Deck first, to ease the parking crunch before they remove so much parking to complete the library and plaza project.

That looks awesome. Haven't seen anything on it yet, but I hope the proposal gets an okay. Will have to keep up to date on this one.

[TheCapstone]

University of Alabama trustees to consider construction projects in Tuscaloosa

The University of Alabama System board of trustees is scheduled to consider proposals to begin preliminary planning for a new UA supply store building near Tutwiler Hall and for authorization to name an architect for the renovation of the Bryce Admissions building.

The projects were among a series of resolutions approved by the board’s Physical Properties Committee on Thursday. The resolutions go before the full board Friday.

The committee approved a resolution to begin preliminary planning for a $5.2 million, 13,281-square-foot retail center at the former site of the Corner Store and existing Bryant Dance Studio. The new building will house the SUPe Store branch relocated from Tutwiler Hall and a new Starbucks.

The vacated space in Tutwiler would be converted for use as multipurpose space, according to the proposal. The dance studio will be demolished.

The Department of Theatre and Dance is scheduled to eventually move its operations to renovated buildings on the historic Bryce property. UA purchased the Bryce Hospital grounds in 2010 and plans new academic, residential buildings and recreational facilities for the property.

The properties committee approved a resolution authorizing the negotiation of an agreement for architectural services for the $20 million Bryce Administration building renovation. The top firm on the university’s list is Birchfield Penuel and Associates of Birmingham, followed by Ellis Architects of Tuscaloosa and Poole and Co. Architects of Birmingham.

The committee also approved resolutions to authorize construction contracts to future lowest responsible bidders for the $15.6 million renovation of Houser Hall and a new south campus parking deck. The bids for the construction of the deck came in under the estimated $16 million budget by approximately $3 million, according to Mike Lanier of HOAR Program Management. Lanier traced the savings to changes, based on experience with other deck projects on campus, during the design phase.

The trustees approved a resolution to increase the budget for the new rowing facility by $247,708 to $4.65 million to accommodate additional equipment and construction of a new dock at the rowing facility being built at Manderson Landing.

The trustees also approved a resolution authorizing an agreement with Fitts Architects of Tuscaloosa for architectural services for the $6.2 million demolition of the existing Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house and construction of a new house.

The committee also signed off on a resolution authorizing an agreement with Davis Architects of Birmingham for the $5.1 million build out of the remaining space in the Science and Engineering Building.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/articl...9908?p=2&tc=pg

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Originally Posted by atlanta68

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XL6FJxlMXD4 What do yall think? I don't know if this is the official design or if the person who posted this video just made it up. But I think it looks great. I was wondering how they would renovate the backside of Gorgas Library, and keep it in harmony with the new design specs, given the height of the library's backside, but I think this works. We have been hearing about this upcoming addition since 2010, but I haven't seen any mention of an impending start date for the project. Maybe they want to build that South Parking Deck first, to ease the parking crunch before they remove so much parking to complete the library and plaza project.

I looked at the person's channel who posted it, and it looks like they've done animations for a few other locations around campus. Kinda looks like they do this for fun :/

Dunno though, that one of the library looked pretty much like I expected it would, so maybe they've seen something we haven't?

I too have been wondering when they're going to start this expansion. I'd hoped that I would still be at UA when it was completed (since it was announced so long ago), but it's looking like I won't be It almost feels like they're waiting to do this for the 200th anniversary, but that does seem pretty far in the future.

I found a CW article that was published early last year (LINK) that said work is about to start, but that they had not yet received a bid? As far as I can tell, that still hasn't happened.

Also, the most recent Capital Projects report (LINK) has the expansion starting this fall and ending in Sep 2015. But, then again, these reports have had it starting in Oct each of the past few years...

[atlanta68]

Tascalisa,

I heard from the guy who created the animations. He said that UA still plans on doing the Gorgas project, but that it has been indefinitely delayed. Like I said, maybe UA wants to create new parking in the periphery before it takes away core campus parking.

[TheCapstone]

No news about the development, but here's some pretty good news for one of our students, Brandon Hill

UA Student Selected to Attend Nobel Laureate Meeting in Germany

Brandon Hill, a University of Alabama doctoral student, is one of approximately 600 students from around the world selected to attend the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting June 29-July 4.

Thousands of young researchers applied for the opportunity to attend the meeting and interact with 37 Nobel Prize winners in Lindau, Germany. Hill, a native of Jackson, Mississippi, is studying biology at UA after earning both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology from Jackson State University.

Hill’s graduate work at Jackson State focused on assessing the effect of Vernonia amygdalina leaf extracts on microtubule destabilization in cancer cells. This research has application in future, potential cancer-treatment methods.

At UA, where he began his doctoral studies in the fall of 2010, Hill’s work blends the fields of molecular biology, cell biology, virology and nanotechnology. His research interests lie in solving some of the scientific challenges involved in nanomedicine.

In the laboratory, he works alongside Dr. Carol Duffy, UA associate professor of biological sciences. At UA, Hill has served as a teaching assistant in both labs and lectures. He is a U.S. Department of Education fellowship recipient.

The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings have evolved into an internationally respected forum for scientific debate on issues of global importance and have gained numerous partners and supporters around the world. This year’s dialogue, the 64th meeting, is dedicated to medicine and will involve young researchers from approximately 80 countries.

UA’s biological sciences department is part of the College of Arts and Sciences, the University’s largest division and the largest liberal arts college in the state. Students from the College have won numerous national awards including Rhodes Scholarships, Goldwater Scholarships, Truman Scholarships and memberships on the USA Today Academic All American Team.

http://uanews.ua.edu/2014/06/ua-stud...ng-in-germany/

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Here are a couple of pictures I took.

Fresh Food Company



FFC has window panes that can fold up vertically for an open air environment (similar to Starbucks in The Ferg). There's also some nice outdoor seating, including a fireplace.

Progress on The Ferg



This was taken about two weeks ago, so it looks ever so slightly different now.