Construction at WL improving campus life, research, learning

August 23, 2012  


Vawter Field housing rendering

This artist's rendering shows the anticipated Vawter Field housing along Third Street from the field side. The 300-bed hall is to be completed before fall 2014. (Image provided by Sasaki Associates and Scholer Corp.)
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Over the summer, many construction projects were undertaken to improve existing roadways, renovate buildings and erect new structures on campus. Although more than 150 projects were completed before fall semester, a number of major projects, particularly those to construct new facilities listed here, will be ongoing.

France A. Córdova Recreational Sports Center (CREC)
This project includes both a renovation of existing space and an addition to the 1957 Recreational Sports Center, which when built was the first university building in the United States created solely to serve students’ recreational needs. Covering 322,000 gross square feet, the project focuses first on enhancing the following fitness areas: cardiovascular space, free weights space, the indoor jogging/walking path, group exercise/multipurpose space and basketball courts. In addition, there are upgrades to the existing racquetball courts, gym space and electrical and mechanical systems. Additional space includes locker rooms, wellness space, common space, food and dining areas. A multipurpose warm water aquatics pool for wellness, fitness and recreational use is being added to the complex to supplement the cool water competition pools of the attached Boilermaker Aquatic Center. The design of this project is in accordance with LEED principles and will become certified through the U.S. Green Building Council. The project will undergo a phased opening over the course of this fall and winter.

Delon and Elizabeth Hampton Hall of Civil Engineering green roof
Expected to be completed this fall, this project will replace the lower roof of Hampton Hall of Civil Engineering with donated green roof material that will be used for research and as a testing ground for potential future use of the material.

Center for Student Excellence and Leadership
With an anticipated completion date in the summer 2014, the Center for Student Excellence and Leadership (CSEL) will provide a space for programs that help retain students and support their success at Purdue. The space for student leadership activities, student organizations and some administrative functions will be in the form of student study and tutoring rooms, staff offices, meeting rooms, counseling areas, student organization office areas, student work rooms, design space, storage spaces and a student senate meeting room. This facility is being designed to achieve maximum energy efficiency with a goal of receiving no less than a Silver rating under the LEED system. The location of this project will be on Vawter Field at the corner of Third Street and Martin Jischke Drive.

Vawter Field housing
Also expected to be complete in the summer 2014, the Vawter Field housing project  will provide a 300-bed residence hall designed to support student learning and retention to improve academic success. The plan for Vawter includes mixed-use retail space on the first floor. This facility is being designed to achieve maximum energy efficiency with a goal of receiving no less than a Silver rating under the LEED system.

Ray W. Herrick Laboratories
When complete, the Ray W. Herrick Laboratories will house the Living Laboratory office building, the Performance Based Engineering Laboratory, and engine test cells for the testing of alternative fuels and power generation, as well as vibration, electromechanical and thermal systems laboratories with flexible floor plans. Designed to meet LEED Silver standards, the project is expected to be complete by fall 2013.

Multidisciplinary Cancer Research Facility (Bindley Bioscience Center addition)
This project is an addition to the existing Bindley Bioscience Center in Discovery Park. The project will be a disease research-focused building that will enhance the existing capabilities of Birck Nanotechnology Center, the Purdue Center for Cancer Research, and programs in biomedical engineering and structural biology with a goal to integrate scientific expertise from the molecular level through animal disease modeling. The anticipated completion date is early 2014.

Drug Discovery Research Facility
The new Drug Discovery Research Facility will provide state-of-the-art chemistry research space that is safe, modular and capable of the strict environmental control needed for groundbreaking research in biochemistry related to drug discovery. The new facility will partially replace existing laboratory space in Wetherill Laboratory. Construction is anticipated to be complete in spring 2014.

Lyles-Porter Hall
The new Lyles-Porter Hall will house the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences; clinical facilities and medical education (IU School of Medicine - Lafayette). The building will provide a collegial atmosphere that supports the education and research goals of the participating entities. Further, it will be designed to preserve the image and culture associated with existing academic units while expanding opportunities for cross-disciplinary learning and engagement. The facility will be part of the Life and Health Sciences Park. Construction is anticipated to be complete in spring 2014  with operational status for fall semester 2014.

Harrison Street Parking Garage
The new Harrison Street Parking Garage will accommodate 850 vehicles and will be attached on the ground floor to the west side of Lyles-Porter Hall. Construction is anticipated to be complete in spring 2014 with operational status for fall semester 2014.

Seng-Liang Wang Hall
This new Purdue Research Foundation (PRF) facility will provide a significant upgrade to existing laboratories, offices, conference rooms and support facilities for the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.  To be built just north of the Northwestern Avenue Parking Garage with roughly 27,000 square feet, Wang Hall will benefit from proximity to Purdue Mall. This facility will also house separate retail space that will be managed by PRF. Construction is expected to start in spring 2013 and end in spring 2014.

Writer: Physical Facilities Communications

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