Originally opened in 1923, the library for years only allowed entry to about a dozen scholars per year; however, that has significantly changed during the past few decades. The library began opening its doors to a broader audience, granting access requests from the general public and encouraging students and scholars from all academic levels to use the collections.

"We’re thrilled to welcome people back to a space that we’re very proud of," said Clements Library Director J. Kevin Graffagnino in a statement. "There are many alumni who studied here and have probably never had the opportunity to step inside, which is something we really want to change."

The renovation included updates to the building’s plumbing, wiring, climate control, fire suppression and security systems. Improvements extended to all three floors of the building, and new construction focused on a two-level underground addition that includes a 3,000-square-foot, climate-controlled storage space. The completely revitalized lower level includes renovated curatorial offices, collections and preservation work spaces, meeting rooms and a larger room to be used for class visits, lectures and larger meetings.

Designed by Michigan Architect Albert Kahn, the library has been a central landmark on the U-M campus since opening. It is named after William L. Clements, the building’s benefactor, an Ann Arbor native, U-M alumnus and former university regent. Clements made his fortune supplying equipment for the construction of the Panama Canal. As his personal wealth grew, he began collecting the rare books and manuscripts that now comprise a large portion of the library’s collection, which is one of the most comprehensive collections of early American history in the world.

A large part of the collection relates to the American Revolution. In fact, Clements found descendants of key influencers in the Revolution (Lord Shelburne, General Sir Henry Clinton, General Nathanael Greene, to name a few) and bought their ancestors’ papers to bring back to Ann Arbor. Other highlights include documents relating to the discovery of North America, Native American history, the American Civil War, the anti-slavery movement and the exploration westward, according to a statement.

During construction, the library remained open in an off-campus facility and continued to specialize in preserving and collecting original primary source documents from 1492 to 1900.
 

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The first project involves building the new $175 million Brighton Health Center South in Brighton. The 320,000-square-foot facility would include multiple exam and operating rooms, pharmacy and special services to pediatric and adult patients as well as radiology and diagnostic imaging and comprehensive cancer services, including radiation and oncology.

Marschall Runge, executive vice president for medical affairs and CEO of UMHS, and Kevin Hegarty, the university’s CFO, requested construction mainly to expand UMHS ambulatory care, reported . The action request recommends HKS Architects, with an office in Detroit, be awarded the design contract. The university has previous experience with the firm after it designed the C.S. Mott Children’s and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital, according to .

“In order to improve patient access to ambulatory care services, UMHS is both actively improving throughput within existing facilities and seeking to expand its capacity,” Runge and Hegarty wrote in the action request.

The request for the new center parallels the trend of ambulatory care expansion currently happening in the U.S. These centers have become more popular in recent years because they perform several of the same surgeries as hospitals but on an outpatient basis. In fact, ambulatory surgical centers performed about 65 percent of U.S. surgeries in 2012, a significant 54 percent increase since 1992.

The university currently operates three existing health centers in the Brighton area — the Brighton Health Center, the Kellogg Eye Center and the Howell Pediatric and Teen Clinic, according to The Michigan Daily.

The board also approved construction of a 75,000-square-foot building to house primary and specialty care, infusion, clinical pathology and radiology services. Scheduled to open in 2017, the facility will cost about $46 million, according to The Michigan Daily.
 

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Designing building systems for a new or renovated athletic facility can be a serious challenge for engineers and architects. Creating a comfortable, aesthetically pleasing venue with high-priced spaces and special architectural features requires creativity and meticulous coordination.

Peter Basso Associates of Troy, Mich., recently completed MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) engineering and lighting design for the 12,700-capacity University of Michigan Crisler Arena expansion in Ann Arbor, Mich., dividing it into general purpose, finished spaces and arena space. General purpose includes mechanical and electrical rooms, toilet rooms and maintenance spaces, whereas finished spaces comprise suites, alumni clubs and offices. Arena space includes the athletic court areas and spectator seating. This article focuses on the coordination of general purpose and finished spaces, examining equipment location, accessibility requirements, allocated above-ceiling space, ductwork and pipe pathways.

The first step in the coordination process is to gain a thorough understanding of the building type, function and desired atmosphere. Before the expansion, temperatures inside the Crisler Arena fluctuated from cold to frigid. The facility was poorly lit and largely uninviting. One design goal was to reinvigorate inside and outside spaces using vibrant team colors.

The building’s circular configuration was an added challenge. Designers were tasked with creating a new main entrance that would grab spectators’ attention but keep the existing aesthetics intact.

The team also developed new concepts for pedestrian circulation and discussed incorporating new architectural features. Design engineers then met with building operators to gain a sense of its functionality, usage and time of occupancy. For example, would the building be operational 24/7, 365 days a year, or would the building sit “dark” for periods at a time?

Maintenance staff indicated what special and preferred systems would be needed in order to complete daily operations. From there, design engineers made energy-efficient recommendations that were satisfactory to the architectural partners and met maintenance staff needs, all while staying under budget. Then, the mechanical and electrical systems were selected and the design phase commenced.

In selecting the location of mechanical and electrical spaces, a few items were taken into consideration: the type of structure in and around each room, proximity to the exterior, utilities being provided and accessibility. Since the preferred locations were along the exterior where the structure tended to be the largest, pathways for ductwork, piping and electrical conduits were identified within the existing structure and adjacent spaces so no additional floor space would be required. However, retaining space despite infrastructure improvements proved to be yet another challenge.

The owner noted that all existing spaces served a valuable purpose that could not be compromised. Once rooms were established along the exterior, utilities were coordinated with the civil engineer and utility providers. Equipment inside the mechanical and electrical rooms was located, and service clearances and pathways for replacement were incorporated into the floor plans.

An understanding of how the space would be used was critical. For example, light switches, receptacles and thermostats could not interfere with custom wall coverings. Additionally, the ceiling space above the club area was crowded with mechanical and electrical services; some fed the club while others passed through to adjacent spaces. Coordinating the services was critical in avoiding interference. The design engineers took a close look at each structural member, conduit, light fixture and depth, ductwork, piping and hanger configuration. This detailed approach helped establish the desired ceiling height, but also ensured accessibility for the maintenance staff.

The biggest challenge for design engineers in large sporting venues such the Crisler Arena is not the complexity of the mechanical electrical systems, but the detailed coordination required between the different disciplines. Each discipline brings a different design solution to the table and they must all be understood to ensure a successful project. By understanding different design solutions and how they relate to building operations, the design engineer can provide an efficient, fully coordinated system that will meet end-user needs for decades to come.

David A. Conrad, PE, is a senior associate mechanical engineer at Peter Basso Associates Inc., with 15 years of design engineering experience. He specializes in recreation, government and higher education design.

Camille Sylvain Thompson is a marketing communications coordinator at Peter Basso Associates Inc., with 15 years of experience in communications and marketing for the A/E/C industry.
 

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Updates to the university include the A. Alfred Taubman Health Sciences Library, serving medical students; renovations to the South Quadrangle student dormitories; and a new softball center.

A. Alfred Taubman Health Sciences Library

The medical students of the University of Michigan will enjoy a $55 million revamp to the health sciences library, bringing smaller group learning spaces and much needed simulation rooms for students to have real-time medical practice.

“Beforehand we only had the ability to speak theoretically about it,” said Brad Densen, administrative director for the Office of Medical Student Education. “Now, with our simulation center, we have context.” The new simulation area included in the 137,000-square-foot building will promote a crucial form of interprofessional education, Densen said, which permits several students of various career paths to collaborate and find the best conclusion in any given medical circumstance.

“Of all the spaces in which we can identify opportunities for interprofessional education, simulation seems to be one that the health sciences can rally around. It’s a great opportunity to see how students can interact as teams and get a group of medical students, nursing students, and pharmacists together to see how they treat a patient,” Densen said. “It allows for more team dynamic work which is essentially where we think the health care system is going.”

Jane Blumenthal, director of the Taubman Health Sciences Library and associate librarian at the University of Michigan Library, said with the updated facilities students will be able to take advantage of newer forms of medical education that will remain relevant as it advances.

“The simulation suites are only going to grow in importance in the future,” she said. “There is going to be more emphasis on interpersonal skills and really the only way you evaluate those is to see people in action.”

The ability to provide immediate feedback to students in simulation will also be much more effective, Blumenthal said.

Renovations, designed by Bloomfield, Mich.-based TMP Architecture Inc. and Ballinger of Philadelphia, are set for completion in August 2015.

The small group study areas in the library also promote collaboration, Densen said. Equipped with flat panels to watch lectures, small group study spaces were sparse in the older facility.

“One of the nice attributes of having flat panels in every small group room is that if students want to watch a lecture they are no longer tied to a computer lab or watching on their laptop; they can expand that image on one of the flat panels if they want to work in a group,” Densen said.

The library made room for renovations by freeing nearly two floors that were once occupied by rarely used print materials, Blumenthal said.

“We really had lots of space we didn’t need for processing physical materials and not enough space for all the work we do with electronic material,” she said.

The building, constructed in the 1980s, was designed to suit the time’s large emphasis on printed materials and instruction. With most materials now found online or electronically, the former storage space will now be repurposed to concentrate on instructional space rather than unused print text.

The materials that will be moved are entirely print-based, said Blumenthal, adding that all journals and books published before 2008 would be removed from the building unless they are heavily used.

South Quad Dormitories

As part of an eight-year $500 million initiative to enhance student residential life, the University of Michigan’s $60 million project to renovate the South Quadrangle will be completed in the summer of 2014. SmithGroupJJR, based in Detroit, is the architect on the project while Clark Construction, also in Detroit, will serve as the general contractor.

Construction, to begin in May, will include renovations to the 1,180-bed dormitory’s dining center, improvements to student bathrooms, provide additional student lounges, study spaces and music practice rooms, as well as add two laundry rooms to the building.

The addition will also include the new 950-seat dining hub, which will provide 10 unique microrestaurant stations with detailed nutritional content for each prepared dish.
“An army marches on its stomach; students learn when their brains are fed,” said Linda Newman, director of university housing.

Rather than food being prepared in the back of the kitchen and brought out in large vats, much of the cooking will occur in front of students to demonstrate healthy choices and proper food preparation, Newman said.

“Things we do help students learn how to make decisions about food and to eat healthy, if they choose,” Newman said.

Also, the addition and renovation of bathrooms will affect student life tremendously, Newman added.

“In all my years of working in residence halls I have heard the single most disliked thing is the hall bathroom,” she said. “One thing we worked very hard on here is the sense of privacy in the hallway bathrooms.”

Instead of the typical 60 students to one bathroom ratio, the South Quad is trying to bring that number down to about 35 students to one hallway bathroom.

Donald R. Shepherd Softball Center

The new $4 million Donald Shepherd Softball Center will provide a softball facility adjacent to Alumni Field and includes coaches’ offices, a new locker room, training rooms, team meeting spaces and a multipurpose room for warm-ups and stretches. The design was completed by Grand Rapids-based Integrated Architecture.

“It’s going to create a kind of one-stop shop for our student athletes so they don’t have to go to one part of campus to meet with a coach then go to the locker room and then go to practice,” said Dave Brandon, athletic director at the University of Michigan.

Construction on the 10,000-square-foot facility is scheduled to begin in early June.

“It kind of puts everything ‘softball’ into one place, which we like,” Brandon said. “It make more efficient use of time for our student athletes.”
 

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Before renovations even began in the summer of 2007, contractors replaced every cubic foot of concrete in the stadium, including the original concrete poured for the risers in 1927, and redid all of the bleacher seats.

Tim Cahill, vice president and director of sports design at HNTB Architecture, which worked with associate architect Kallman McKinnell & Wood Architects of Boston and construction manager Barton Malow of Southfield, Mich., on the renovation, says the project has been nearly 10 years in the making.

 

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