Earl Hall was a loud place to live during fall term. Construction from the renovation in Straub Hall next door had many students complaining to management.
“I got woken up every day at eight in the morning with construction noise,” freshman Marc Reina said. “It’s so annoying.”
But the remodel is overdue, considering the building has nearly 100 years behind it, and this term, the noise is likely to be gone or majorly reduced, Planning Associate Gene Mowery said.
The completion of Straub Hall maintenance not only relieves students of a construction-noise-free environment, but also excites faculty and professors in the psychology and linguistic departments.
“The building was very old,” psychology department head Lou Moses said. “The heating and plumbing system has been failing for a while.”
The university focuses on improving the building’s comfort code and seismic code. According to Mowery, Straub Hall was at the point where the system and the building’s core were crumbling and falling apart.
“It’s actually the cheapest option for us to break down the walls and replace the lighting and plumbing system,” Mowery said.
The space layout in the initial design was limited and ill-fitted for faculty and professors to work in. With the newly remodeled building, the psychology department can open up for new opportunities, Moses said.
“(The building) is beautifully done and much more suited to do research,” Moses said. “Sometimes we bring in participants to do research from the university and public at the clinic, and I think the new building will be very appealing to them.”
Though the building is not registered as a significant historical building on campus, Straub Hall has been home to many students for generations, originating in 1928. Since 1975 it has also been home to the Psychology department. The $22 million project is the first major remodel on the building.
During the planning stage for the deferred maintenance of Straub Hall, the university seized an opportunity to expand existing classrooms in Straub Hall and Earl Hall in order to meet with the growing student body, Mowery said.
Phase two of the project cost the university another $22 million. Most of the construction is finished and will be ready for spring term, Mowery said.
The expansion will add in another three-story construction in Straub Hall, providing a 520-seat lecture hall with several joint classrooms between both Straub and Earl hall.
Energy performance of the building was also a priority in the remodel.
The building incorporates natural light with an adjustable rooftop, energy-efficient heating systems, and insulated heat loss with new exterior work to minimize its total energy performance. Straub Hall is aiming for the LEED Gold certification, as a university requirement.
With all new mechanical and technical upgrade installed in the new building, Mowery is optimistic about Straub Hall.
“It will be good for at least 50 years with regular check-up and maintenance,” he said.