Downtown Dr. Foster James Penny Building opens May 16!

The department of Facilities’ Project Management Office has been hard at work updating and renovating the downtown Dr. Foster James Penny Building.

University of Lethbridge officials will officially open building in downtown Lethbridge on Thursday, May 16 beginning at 11 a.m.

Penny Building lobby rendering - Small

An artist’s conception of the lobby area inside the Penny Building.

The building, formerly a furniture store, is located in downtown Lethbridge at 324 5th St. S.

It was gifted to the U of L by long-time Lethbridge residents and restaurant entrepreneurs Jim and Hazel Penny. The building is named in honour of their late son Foster, a noted medical doctor and educator who passed away at age 44 in 1992.

In addition to providing a gallery space for Fine Arts students, the 2,862 gross sq. m. (approximately 30,000 sq.ft.) building also provides an ideal space for community events, with two large meeting rooms which are equipped with audio-visual equipment and flexible seating.

The Penny Building is also home to the U of L’s alumni relations office, the annual giving program offices and a U of L gift store.

The building has undergone extensive interior renovations, and in addition to the enhancements to the main floor spaces, now features an elevator, renovated and accessible washrooms, upgraded mechanical systems and a fresh and contemporary interior décor.

Read more about the project here.

 

Summer 2013 construction season

In January, we mentioned how crazy busy campus constrution was going to be with all the projects planned for this summer. Well, we’ve got a few more details to add in order to keep you in the loop.

Speaking of loops, one of the biggest projects on campus also promises to be the most disruptive:

PE Tunnel Rehabilitation and South Plaza replacement.

This project will see the tearing up and replacing of the concrete slabs on the south plaza, as well as underground tunnel maintenance including leak repairs, installation of new air handling units for better air quality and new lighting.

The tunnel and outdoor area from the PE Building along the Students’ Union Building up to the rotunda near the Library will be closed will be closed throughout the duration of the project to allow heavy equipment to move easily within the site.

The closure also includes the Aperture Road bus loop. The U of L Facilities department is working with the City of Lethbridge to find a new, temporary bus route for L.A. Transit. We will let everyone know what the new route will be once it has been finalized.

Library roof

Nearby, the Library roof will undergo work as crews replace the roofing membrane that has been lifted by the area’s notorious winds. So long as Mother Nature cooperates, the project will last from about May to mid-July. During this time the south entrance to the Library will be closed.

West parking lots

The second phase of the parking lot redevelopment project will see Lots E and G undergo substantial work. In addition to repaving the lots, a storm water management and drainage system along with new trees and landscaping, windbreaks, concrete curbing and sidewalks, and new lighting will enhance the area. As a gateway to the University, this parking area is one of the first areas of campus that people see. The project will help create a sense of place and welcoming to new and returning guests.

UCA North Patio

The wood and concrete flooring on the North Patio off the University Centre for the Arts building will be replaced this summer. The entrance into the patio area at the bottom of the pathway will be closed, but pedestrians should still be able to access the path to gain access to other areas.

Food Services renovation

Now that the U of L has a new food vendor coming on board, work to update the food services area in UCA will get underway this summer.

In addition to these major projects, several others are already underway in less obtrusive areas such as the Prairie Quad north of Markin Hall, University Hall Breezeway infrastructure upgrades, elevator upgrades in UCA, Students’ Union Building and Turcotte Hall, and various flooring replacement and building control upgrade projects that will take place on evenings and weekends.

More information on these and other upcoming projects will be announced  as details emerge. The Facilities department would like to thank everyone in advance for their patience during the busy construction season ahead.

Our inaugural Annual Report has been published!

Facilities Annual Report smallWhat do you do when a light burns out in your office? Who do you call when you need to report a slippery sidewalk? A food spill? A broken window? Need a new office chair? A sign for your event? Perhaps you want to utilize the Safewalk program or have a questions regarding special event parking.

All of these tasks, and more, are performed by the Facilities department.

Our mission is to strive to provide the highest quality environments that enhance learning, creativity and growth. With more than 130 employees across more than a dozen departments, Facilities plays an important role in nearly every aspect of the University’s physical appearance.

Our first annual report presents a snapshot of our operations and achievements from the 2011-2012 fiscal year.

Read a PDF of the report here.

Happy reading!

Come celebrate the new Campus Master Plan!

The University of Lethbridge recently celebrated its 45th anniversary, but we`re already looking ahead to the future.

Our campus has seen a lot of changes over the years, and we`re excited to enhance it even more by creating a compact, pedestrian friendly university.

To do that, we set out to create a new University Campus Master Plan with recommendations to guide the planning decisions for the physical campus at U of L for the next 25 years.

The 217-page document was ratified by the U of L Board of Governors in December 2012. Read more about the plan here.

A public open house celebrating the new plan will take place on Monday, Jan. 28, 2013.

The informal event begins with a social reception from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the newly-renovated stairwell area of the Physical Education Building followed by a presentation during the Architecture and Design course in PE264 at 6 p.m.

The reception will feature image boards, banners and slide show media. A short minute presentation will take place, with the consultant teams in attendance for casual conversation.

The main presentation in PE264, will be jointly presented by Associate Director of Campus Planning and Architecture Spencer Court, and representatives from project consultants Moriyama + Teshima Architects (Toronto) and Gibbs Gage Architects (Calgary). A short question period will follow.

These events are free and all members of the University and broader community are invited to attend.  If you have questions, please contact Spencer Court at spencer.court@uleth.ca

Facilities featured in 45th anniversary videos

45thThe U of L celebrated its 45th anniversary last year with several activities and video presentations throughout the year and we were pleased to be a part of it.

Associate Director of Campus Planning and Architecture Spencer Court was recently featured in one of the U of L’s 45th Anniversary YouTube videos talking about some of our planning projects.

Judy Jaeger, Facilities Caretaking Manager and Co-chair of the SOS program was also featured.

Check out the videos here.

You can also view the University’s YouTube page here.

 

 

 

 

Christmas break

christmas tree ornamentsAlthough the University is closed during the Christmas holidays from Monday, Dec. 24 to Tuesday, Jan. 1, Security personnel will be available to the campus community during the holidays.

Safewalk and the Working Alone programs will also continue to be offered during the break.

A few Caretaking staff will be around over the holidays however, no Caretaking workers will be on campus Christmas Day or New Year’s Day.

Utilities, building maintenance and grounds workers will be on call during the break. For any issues, call Security at 403-329-2345 who will then inform the appropriate contact person.

For building operating hours during the holidays click here.

From all of us in Facilities, have a safe and happy holiday!

Campus Master Plan ratified

A new University Campus Master Plan was ratified by the U of L Board of Governors Thursday, Dec. 13.

The 217-page document will be published in the New Year. It contains recommendations to guide the planning decisions for the physical campus at U of L for the next 25 years. For example, the UCMP would aid in the development of the proposed Destination Project by pinpointing a location for the new facility and emphasizing the functional parameters that help to create a unique campus identity and student experience.

Key planning principles of the UCMP include:

  • Establishing a campus Gateway along Aperture Drive.
  • Framing a new “Coulee Quad” creating a campus heart.
  • Interconnecting buildings that engage the coulees.
  • Creating a unique brand of architecture that integrates with landscape.
  • Generating a unique campus identity and experience.

For more details on the plan check out the Fall 2012 edition of SAM magazine.

More information on the UCMP can also be found at http://www.uleth.ca/masterplan.

An open house celebrating the new plan will take place Jan. 28, 2013. Details on the event will be announced in the coming weeks.

Welcome to the University of Lethbridge Facilities blog.

We hope this feature will not only keep you up to date on our activities, but also help you understand why we do what we do.

While a lot of our work may seem disruptive and untimely, our job is to improve the physical attributes of campus inside and out, and sometimes we need to make a mess in order to build a better University (we promise to clean up when we’re done).

This year was unusually busy for campus construction. Normally, project work is completed in the four-month window of summer when the majority of students are away, but with more than $30 million worth of construction activity this year, it was next to impossible to squeeze all our projects into that short timeframe and expect completion by September.

While Facilities recognizes the inconvenience this may have had on the campus community, we continue to work hard to provide new and improved spaces ensuring a positive experience at the U of L.

Check out our website at www.uleth.ca/facilities to learn more about the Facilities department and the projects we currently have on the go.