[Morgantown] West Virginia U. developments

[seicer]

Which green matters most to WVU?

Key --

1. According to the new Ten-Year Master Plan for West Virginia University, the Pastureland Parkway would link Interstate 68 to the downtown campus.

1a. It would cut through or relocate three research farms.

2. WVU was established through the Morrill Act of 1862 as a land-grant institution -- with a mission to provide education in farming, agriculture and animal sciences.

Article information: "Which green matters most to WVU?, The Daily Athenaeum [Morgantown], 04-11-2007"

[seicer]

WVU to build bigger alumni center (contains rendering)

Notes --

1. The first WVU Alumni building was constructed in 1986. At the time, it had 90,000 alumni. Today, that has risen to 170,000 and the existing building has become cramped. It features only one large banquet room and has limited office and meeting rooms. Discussions for expansion or a new facility began in 1996.

2. The new Alumni building will be at the Evansdale Campus. Ground will be broke at 4 PM on June 1, and construction should be finished by fall 2008. It is located near Ruby Memorial Hospital and will feature more meeting rooms, a terrace and an outdoor fireplace. It will also be four times larger.

3. The new building will feature more a traditional facade, similar to the buildings at the downtown campus, unlike the contemporary style of the current. It is patterned most notably after the bell tower at Woodburn Hall.

4. Funding for the building will mostly come from private donors.

Article information: "WVU to build bigger alumni center, By James I. Davison, Charleston Gazette, May 25, 2007"

[seicer]

WVU gets makeover: Construction nearing completion

By James I. Davison, The Charleston Gazette, July 9, 2007

Oglebay Hall: The building's $23.5 million renovation keeps in context with its old-style architecture, while adding the amenities of a modern facility. A firm was hired that specializes in historic preservation. The structure, built in 1918, housed the School of Agriculture until the restoration began in spring 2006. When the building reopens in August, it will be home to the forensic and investigative science program. It will also have eight general-use classrooms, two teaching laboratories, and office space. A new addition will have two lecture halls, two large auditoriums, and a rooftop parking deck.

Pedestrian bridge: A new pedestrian bridge connects Oglebay Hall to the Business and Economics Building. It spans University Avenue and is expected to carry about 1,000 people an hour.

Brooks Hall: Brooks Hall, on Beechurst Avenue, reopened last week after 20 months of a $28.8 million overhaul. The original building was a 1950s-era institutional building that was "dark and heavy." The renovated structure is still in the same architectural style of the original, but it is not the same on the inside and out. It now contains "smart classrooms" that have state-of-the-art technology, including new projection video screens, sound systems, and a personal response system. A new glass addition to the structure allows more natural light into the building, which saves electricity and "cheers people up." The building originally opened in 1951 and was home to the biology department. When it reopens officially in the fall, it will be home to the Department of Geology and Geography.

Other projects include,

1. Colson Hall at WVU's downtown campus is undergoing an interior renovation. When it reopens in January, it will be home to the English Department. The $8.5 million project will give the 1925-era structure new classrooms, faculty offices, and meeting rooms.

2. A new structure at High and Prospect will house massive air conditioning units. It will also connect the chemistry lab building at Propsect by creating five floors and 17,000 sq. ft. of new research space.

3. The engineering building on the Evansdale campus is in the early phases of a $12 million addition. The project is scheduled for completion in May 2008.

[seicer]

WVU buildings go green (with photograph)

By James I. Davison, The Charleston Gazette, July 09, 2007

Newly constructed or renovated structures are increasingly going "green" at West Virginia University's campus -- a trend mirrored nationwide. At Brooks Hall, the roof is covered in green plant life. After a 20-month $28.8 million renovation, the roof sports four- to six-inch-tall plants called sedums that help absorb rainwater and helps cut down on storm runoff. The natural flora also offers an extra level of insulation and keeps ultraviolet rays from destroying the roofing material -- extending the life of the roof by up to 20 years. The roofs, however, have to be fertilized and weeded.

Brooks Hall is one of several that are receiving "green" upgrades. At Oglebay Hall, the renovation project added expensive air handling units (also at Brooks) that maximize the use of moderate outside air temperatures, as well as air that has already been cooled or heated.