November 2020 update
Some highlights of last month’s progress include:
- Internal technical stakeholders reviewed and commented on the design development documents.
- Project cost analysis was performed at the end of the design development phase and the team thoughtfully assessed all aspects of the project to meet the current budget.
- User engagement continued with Nursing, Architecture and Interiors, Biology, Physical Education, Exercise Science, Dance, and Music.
- User engagement was undertaken for specific components of the HT building including the proposed multipurpose space on level 1, and the consolidated office on level 2.
- Sylvania Campus’ academic, student services, and administration stakeholders joined facilitated discussions to plan for general-purpose classrooms, focusing on how they can be more adaptable to different learning modalities.
- Campus-wide project updates were offered at the end of October.
- Student focus groups reached out virtually to 31 students, student leaders, and support staff.
Permanent moves and temporary swing space design
The team continues to mostly work remotely. Team members and contractor crews are ensuring all the projects are coordinated and on track in the sequence planned so programs have a permanent or temporary location available by the time construction starts at the HT building, slated to occur in the summer of 2021. The contractor, subcontractors, as well as our PCC team, are taking health and safety precautions when working on campus.
Some of the recent milestones in the swing spaces include:
- The completion of installation and construction for the Temporary Modular Units in the P12 parking lot.
- Progress on the design of the Music spaces that will move permanently from the HT building to the CT building, including the advancement to the construction documents phase of design.
- Continued progress on the construction documents for Medical Imaging, that in December 2020 will begin construction of the new space in the HT basement.
- The Business Administration, Math, and Health Studies departments were moved into their permanent homes in SS 201.
Coordination for packing and moving continues for other relocation projects on campus that will enable the programs to come into place.
HT design
The project team received significant input and comments from different design meetings, internal technical review sessions, and focus groups held in October and November. The input and comments are being discussed and incorporated to the extent that is possible, within the project budget.
In addition to design meetings with individual departments, the team also offered focused conversations on activating general-purpose classrooms to meet different learning and teaching styles. A series of discussions about the proposed multipurpose space in HT level 1 also began in November and will continue in December. In addition, student focus groups were offered three times during November. At these student outreach events, the team offered a quick project overview and engaged the students to provide input on collaborative spaces, flexible learning classrooms, and all-user restrooms. Although virtual engagement can be harder to achieve than in in-person events, students and student leaders provided generous insight. The team is also grateful for the efforts of the internal college stakeholders who reviewed and provided feedback and guidance in regard to technical project documents as part of the design development set.
The HT project team spent significant time going over the costing of the project at its current phase. Budget constraints have pushed the team to work together to prioritize different elements to reconcile the budget for each project and jointly meet the current budget.
One of the priorities, for example, avoids affecting the identified core program and maintains the agreed room distribution, to the fullest extent possible. In addition, there is consideration given to long-term investments for permanent remodeled spaces, such as mechanical systems. The team is skilled at going through this costing exercise as well as using different strategies to balance the budget.