Construction Ambassadors Provide Lift to New Home of Bands & Orchestras

As Purdue Bands & Orchestras prepares to take its next giant leap into its new home, a team of band members is helping see its construction through to completion.

Josh Fiore, a sophomore studying construction engineering and management, and Joey Martin, a junior studying civil engineering, are part of the Bands & Orchestras construction ambassador team for Hagle Hall, which will serve as the new home of the department. The ambassador team is composed of Bands & Orchestras members including Fiore, who plays baritone in four ensembles, and Martin, who plays mellophone and French horn in four ensembles.

Approved by the Purdue Board of Trustees in December 2019, construction on the 37,500-square-foot, four-story facility began in August 2020 and is on track to open in time to meet the targeted completion date of July 2022. The facility, located at the southeast corner of Third and Russell streets, is named for Marc and Sharon Hagle in honor of their $10 million leadership gift.

Hagle Hall will provide modern, state-of-the-art rehearsal and practice space, as well as other amenities for the more than 1,100 students who participate in 35 curricular and extracurricular ensembles with Bands & Orchestras. The 133-year old department has seen a 65 percent growth in participation since fall 2013. Once complete, Hagle Hall will also give visitors the chance to view the Purdue “All-American” Marching Band’s iconic Big Bass Drum, which will be on display when not in use. 

When the opportunity to get involved with the construction of Hagle Hall became available, Fiore and Martin each leapt at the chance to not only get hands-on experience in their fields of study but make an impact on a significant part of their Purdue experience.

“Getting a new building is like a seven-tier wedding cake and this experience is the cherry on top,” Martin says. “To gain all of the insider information, understand everything that has gone into this building to make it how it is today and will be forever in connection to what I love doing in college with band is an awesome feeling.”  

Martin and Fiore work closely with project managers, engineers and the superintendent from Gilbane BuildingCo., who is serving as construction manager for the project, as well as Chris Skiba, director of capital projects for the Vice Provost for Student Life. They also serve as liaisons for Bands & Orchestras and help coordinate information for public relations purposes such as construction updates for the Hagle Hall website.

In addition, Martin and Fiore lead tours of the facility for donors and students. The tours highlight construction progress while showcasing the features of the facility, such as practice rooms, rehearsal spaces, a café’, common areas, acoustic elements, and spaces that generous donors have supported. The tours help translate plans and construction in a way that helps visitors envision the finished product.

“All of the project engineers know music, but they were looking to us to relate and answer the questions that many students and donors have,” Fiore says. “Having that comprehensive knowledge of each area really helps.” 
 
While Martin and Fiore had each worked in construction through internships or co-ops, this was their first opportunity to work on a building – each of their previous experiences were working on infrastructure projects such as roads, highways, and sidewalks. Each student noted that they have gained valuable insight into the level of project management that goes into a venture of this scale. 

“Seeing the scheduling and the order of everything has been fascinating,” Fiore says. “Everything from the order of construction to materials has been interesting. It’s so different from when I was working in my internship, which was all drilling and concrete. There’s so many more moving parts that have to be finely tuned. You have to bring materials in at the right date and you need to have inspections at the correct times.” 

Martin agreed that this aspect of the experience has been enlightening. 

“I expected that I would learn about project management going into this,” Martin says. “It’s not about just starting with the foundation and moving on. We break it down into 10-week schedules and plan out all of the different aspects of the project. That’s been a valuable takeaway.”  
 
Working closely with professionals from Purdue and Gilbane has also provided professional growth opportunities.   

“I think it’s the relationships that I take out of this experience,” Martin says. “Being able to work together in a team that has been in the industry for a very long time, gaining that experience and feeling valued by this professional team has been my favorite part.”