Campus construction continues

Hard hat warnings are posted across campus, and bright orange cones redirect traffic in what feels like a new route every day. Though the seemingly never ending construction delays on campus may provide more than the recommended daily intake for summer frustration, understanding the expected goals for these projects makes the inconvenience a bit more tolerable.

Expected to be completed within a few years time, the Innovative Learning Resource Center (ILRC) is a building proposed as an extension to the library complex. It will be built on the east side of Yellow Jacket park, the large open space flanked by Skiles Walkway on the north, the library on the east, and the Van Leer Electrical Engineering building on the south. It is expected to be built upon the area currently occupied by the parking lot in front of the library.

"We've been on the Board of Regents list for funding for quite a while [for the ILRC]. At its simplest level, this center would be an extension to the library, but it would be much more than that. There will be more [in the center] to do with information access areas- student-oriented resource areas that will upgrade the library to make it responsive [to current student needs]," said Michael Patterson, director of design and construction.

Patterson declined to offer a specific date for completion of this project. "We'll be starting some design on [the ILRC] next year, and move on to detailed programming and conceptual designing later," he said.

Among the immediate additions to the campus is the upcoming Molecular Science and Engineering Research Complex. The building will enclose the north end of the biotechnology quadrangle on Ferst Drive. Its completion is scheduled for the fall. At 272,000 square feet, the Molecular Science and Engineering Building will become the second largest research building on campus.

In keeping with modern design trends, the complex will also be more environmentally friendly, because it will have more economical energy consumption than some of the older buildings on campus.

"We're doing some things to make [the building] energy friendly.We paid big bucks for an energy recovery system that will pay for itself in five to seven years [by saving on energy costs]." said Fred Dolder, the project manager.

Also expected soon on campus is the nanotechnology-focused research facility. Designed to contain over 30,000 square feet of clean room facilities alongside classrooms and other research labs, the nanotechnology research building is expected to add significant value to Tech's research expertise, as well as support local companies seeking to coordinate research work with the Institute's faculty.

Proposed to occupy the combined site of the existing Electronics Research Building and the Neely Nuclear Research Center at the intersection of Atlantic Drive and Ferst Street, the new nanotechnology research center will provide valuable workspace for research on one of the more promising scientific fields.

Another campus construction project that has received noteworthy attention from the Tech community is the reconstruction of the Fifth Street bridge. When the idea of revamping the connector between East Campus and Tech Square to include a park was first publicized in 2004, it received flak from many construction- and-cost-wary students.

As word spread that the project was funded entirely by the Georgia Department of Transportation (and not by Tech) and construction set in, criticism of the project dwindled to the occasional gripe about dust and noise.

There is greenery planned for the bridge as well, but Patterson said that this has more importance with circulation than with creating a park over the interstate. "On the north and south sides [of the bridge], there will be landscapes, [ranging from] ground cover to trees....The whole thing will be about 240 feet wide, a good wide area. On the south side, there will be a trellis [for pedestrians] to stay out of the heat," he said.

Many have imagined this green space on the Fifth Street bridge as a park-like setting where passers-by can sit and relax or throw frisbees. In fact, much of the criticism over the proposed landscaping stems from questioning the wisdom of building a park right over the air and noise pollution generated by one of the busiest roadways in Atlanta - the Downtown Connector. Many have pondered the tragedy that could arise from frisbees hurling onto cars speeding at 70 mph.

"I don't think [the landscaping on the bridge] has ever been envisioned as a park destination[ by the developers ]. Rather, the bridge will serve more as a circulation that expands the greenery on a concrete-intensive area to keep the place cooler," Patterson said in response to the above-metioned criticism. Another standout construction project on campus is the monumental Klaus Advanced Computing Building on Ferst Drive. With its imposing façade spanning a significant portion of Ferst Drive, it should become a hard-to-miss landmark on campus.

Despite the occurrence of inconvenient construction delays that postponed the expected completion date three months ago, the building is currently on track for completion in the fall, according to Patterson.

"We've got a lot of people overseeing that job. It is a Georgia Tech building, but the construction is also overseen by a state agency. It is a big building and they're doing more on site now. It is reaching a standpoint where construction can be finished on the outside," Patterson said.

The schedule calls for completion of the project by mid-August, and, according to Patterson, the Klaus building should be expected to be ready for operation sometime in the spring.