Bologna Center Construction Blog

2007-01-24T05:18:00.000-08:00

And last, but certainly not least, is the portion of the basement dedicated to student lockers, mailboxes, the coke and coffee machine and, who know, maybe someday the ping pong and fussball tables.

2007-01-24T05:08:00.000-08:00

The offices have been renovated, and to a certain extent the occupants as well! Actually, it's the same old Erik and Veronica...but don't they look great?

2007-01-24T04:46:00.000-08:00

One of the less publicized benefits of the BC's renovation/expansion is the enormous amount of storage/archival space we have gained. The first picture is a huge room in the basement that we had originally hoped could be used as an multimedia room (for watching films, videoconferencing, etc), but the local health authorities shot the idea down, as it is against the rules to have classrooms without natural sunlight (which you need a lot of, when watching films in a dark room, no?).

2007-01-24T04:41:00.000-08:00

This is one of the new classrooms on the 2nd floor (room 201). It has great light, and you can still see the top of the Asinelli tower. The classrooms in the new wing are not yet entirely completed, but the doors are open and students, looking for a "quiet" place to study for finals, are abandoning the library and heading for these new spaces.

2007-01-24T02:53:00.000-08:00

This is the new Multimedia/Seminar room (rm. 301) in the new wing of the third floor. It is just missing the windowsills, the Audio/Video equipment (which is going in as I write this), and the sliding white board that will run across the front window. What it is not missing is a spectacular view of the two towers.

2007-01-24T02:48:00.000-08:00

OK, here are a few new pics. This is the new third floor conference room, and yes, that is Grove Haines' portrait on the wall on the left.

Update

2007-01-12T02:50:00.000-08:00

Many people have asked me why I haven't updated the blog since October. The short answer is that (a) all the major "visual" changes were essentially done by then, all of the punchlist work was not really something you could take pictures of and (b) I've been extremely busy. Nevertheless, we are putting the final touches on the three new classrooms of the new wing, so I will try to post some pictures of those in a week or two. Happy 2007 to everyone.

2006-10-16T08:10:00.000-07:00

Auditorium "populated"

2006-10-16T07:48:00.000-07:00

A few pictures of the bar "populated"

2006-10-04T08:06:00.000-07:00

Check out the new bar chairs. Not bad...

2006-10-04T08:05:00.000-07:00

View from the penthouse this morning.

2006-10-04T08:04:00.000-07:00

Pictures of the Penthouse this morning.

2006-10-04T06:30:00.000-07:00

Pictures of the third floor, almost 100% operational!

2006-10-04T06:28:00.000-07:00

More pictures of the reception desk. Pretty fancy...

2006-10-04T03:02:00.000-07:00

A picture of the newly renovated lobby (click on the pic for enlargement).

2006-10-03T03:22:00.000-07:00

Pictures from orientation in the auditorium.

2006-09-30T08:13:00.000-07:00

The auditorium

2006-09-30T08:01:00.000-07:00

OK, couldn't wait until Monday. Here's a few sneak previews. First is the bar.

2006-09-28T06:48:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, another week without pictures. We are sooo close to going live with the new building (we are in the midst of cleanup and furniture delivery as I write this), I'd rather just wait until Monday, and post the "after" pictures then. So check back next week; believe me, it'll be worth it.

2006-09-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

Auditorium details.

2006-09-21T07:59:00.000-07:00

A few pics of the auditorium today.

2006-09-21T07:46:00.000-07:00

The fire-escape landing of the 2nd floor, which will soon come to be known as "smoky corner".

2006-09-21T07:44:00.000-07:00

The outdoor tiles for the penthouse are going in.

2006-09-21T07:42:00.000-07:00

This week we are moving back into our offices. Lidia couldn't wait!

2006-09-21T07:39:00.000-07:00

A few pics of the student lounge (right off the bar). It's a bit sparse right now, but when the leather couches and the 36 inch LCD flat panel go in, it should be pretty neat.

2006-09-21T07:37:00.000-07:00

The window frames for the bar veranda are going in. Glass panels arrive tomorrow.

2006-09-21T07:34:00.000-07:00

Vito, in contemplative state (and the last time he'll ever sit in the women's bathroom...ever).

2006-09-21T07:31:00.000-07:00

This is the coolest tattoo I've ever seen (him as a kid).

2006-09-21T07:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in posts, we are coming down to the wire! Here are a bunch of new pics. The reception area is essentially finished, now they are polishing the marble floors.

2006-09-18T07:33:00.000-07:00

Apologize for not posting, but our digital camera just broke, and things are pretty nuts around here right now. But things are coming together rather nicely, and I hope to post new pictures later this week.

2006-09-14T03:14:00.000-07:00

The auditorium is starting to come together nicely. The wood panelling adds a warm touch.

2006-09-14T03:10:00.000-07:00

Lots o' scaffolding.

2006-09-14T03:08:00.000-07:00

I promised these gentlemen I would put them on the internet, so here goes...

2006-09-14T02:43:00.000-07:00

The bar is being installed, and these guys are sanding the dry wall like crazy.

2006-09-07T07:49:00.000-07:00

Pictures of the auditorium, as the drop ceiling goes in. At bottom, a glance at the wooden panelling for the ceilings and walls.

2006-09-07T07:19:00.000-07:00

The penthouse is still very much a chaotic place, but one can begin to glimse some light at the end of the tunnel. Hannelore and Lidia (below) are intently studying the floorplans so as to see how many students can fit into the new classrooms on the penthouse floor.

2006-09-07T06:53:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long delay in blog updates, but as our reopening grows nearer, things around here are hectic (that's an understatement). Here are a few pictures of the bar taken today. Note the fancy lighting (at bottom).

2006-08-30T08:40:00.000-07:00

Work on the snack bar area is going well. Picture at bottom shows new floors.

2006-08-30T08:37:00.000-07:00

We've got more manpower in this building right now than your average episode of Extreme Home Makeover.

2006-08-30T08:34:00.000-07:00

New lighting is going into the offices on the third floor. Note the sensor pointing at the window. It is intended to guage the natural light coming into the room, and notches up or down the intensity of the flourescent lighting accordingly. Supposed to be energy-efficient.

2006-08-25T08:01:00.000-07:00

Pictures of the intrepid roof team.

2006-08-25T07:51:00.000-07:00

They are levelling out the bar area with the garden area. Next week we should get the stone tiles on the floor.

2006-08-24T03:50:00.000-07:00

And a first for the BC Blog, a picture of the new basement!

2006-08-24T03:48:00.000-07:00

The garden area has been cleaned out and they are starting to level the ground in the bar area. We are very excited about this part of the project, and it looks like we won't be disappointed.

2006-08-24T03:24:00.000-07:00

This gentleman seemed quite happy to pose for me.

2006-08-24T03:15:00.000-07:00

Don't even ask me what this thing is for, but it looks cool. (ok, it's actually an air vent for the main hallway)

2006-08-24T03:12:00.000-07:00

We have toilets and sinks! The toilets are weird, they have something pelican-like about them. But the architects say these models are more hygenic, because one can clean underneath them.

2006-08-22T01:37:00.000-07:00

Various pics of the new linoleum on the 3rd floor. They've covered most of it with protective carpets, and what is visible is quite dusty...but one gets the idea.

2006-08-22T01:31:00.000-07:00

The sinks for the bathrooms have arrived.

2006-08-17T02:17:00.000-07:00

That's where the flat screen TV in the student lounge goes!

2006-08-17T02:14:00.000-07:00

There are FIVE separate bathrooms on the ground floor, all required by code.

2006-08-17T02:12:00.000-07:00

Pictures of the bar area. The "veranda" portion really brings a lot of light in, I think it will look very nice.

2006-08-17T02:01:00.000-07:00

The basic structure for the penthouse east balcony extension is basically up, but there is a lot of finish to do.

2006-08-17T01:58:00.000-07:00

They have knocked down a portion of the roof of the penthouse, to extend it over the new balcony.

2006-08-17T01:52:00.000-07:00

The area near the bathrooms on the third floor.

2006-08-17T01:50:00.000-07:00

There is light at the end of the tun...uh, the third floor.

2006-08-17T01:48:00.000-07:00

Linoleum has started going down on the third floor. Lots of dusty footprints on it, but one gets the idea.

2006-08-17T01:43:00.000-07:00

This man is dutifully re-varnishing the douglas window frames throughout the building. The wood had decayed from lack up upkeep in the last decades.

2006-08-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

This is the view from the new bar, onto the veranda.

2006-08-12T09:24:00.000-07:00

I'm the first civilian to set foot on the new penthouse balcony!

2006-08-10T09:52:00.000-07:00

These pics are for everyone who thought Italy shut down the first two weeks of August.

2006-08-10T09:48:00.000-07:00

Spying from the fire escape into the library. Who is that man of mystery?

2006-08-10T09:44:00.000-07:00

A view of the back of the auditorium.

2006-08-10T09:38:00.000-07:00

Today is kind of a landmark moment, they are finishing the final floor of the building extension. I'm told that tomorrow evening they will pour the concrete into the last level floor, which is the new terrace facing downtown. Monday I hope to be able to take some pictures from the top of the new wing.

2006-08-07T01:01:00.000-07:00

They're laying the floor of the auditorium this morning. We decided to forgo the wood floors, given that they were very expensive, and that we would rather spend the money on wood-paneling on the walls and ceilings (which are more practical and nicer looking). That and a very fancy audio/video system. The color of the floors is "Nutella" (the bottom pictures doesn't do it justice).

2006-08-03T06:19:00.000-07:00

The auditorium is starting to take shape. It is amazing to me that they were able to save the bricks, then perfectly reconstruct the auditorium backwall, after intervening so heavily for the seismic work (they literally had to deconstruct the wall brick by brick, then rebuild it with the same bricks).

2006-08-03T06:10:00.000-07:00

The fire escape is up as well, although I have to say I was somewhat disturbed to see a few extra screws laying around, which my experience with IKEA tells me is never a good sign (see bottom pic).

THIS IS THE TOILET

2006-08-03T05:31:00.000-07:00

Interesting example of where a small lack of communication with the architect can lead to "cultural" misunderstandings. Below are pictures of the new men's room on the 2nd floor. The tile manufacturer we chose had the added bonus of providing a number of tiles with "quirky" words on them. You could compose little phrases, etc., on the wall. But when acquiring the tiles, the architect discovered you could only buy the words in certain sets, and she decided to go for the simplest phrase (see bottom pic). Unfortunately, "This is the toilet" does not really translate well (in Italian-English the toilet represents the entire bathroom). And they wrote "This is the toilet" directly over the sinks. So as to avoid unnecessary confusion, we asked them to remove the phrase from above the sinks (if you think no one would ever mistake the sinks for a toilet, you'd be wrong). Otherwise I think the bathrooms are looking very nice.

2006-08-03T03:06:00.000-07:00

For those of you who, like me, get excited about structural engineering problems, the below pictures are interesting. To build an extension onto our penthouse terrace, the terrace itself had to be reinforced, as it does not have much in the way of structural support underneath. To do this, they criss-crossed strips of carbon fiber (apparently quite sturdy) on both sides of the floor, and ran steel cables between them. This should do the trick, according to our construction people.

2006-08-03T02:53:00.000-07:00

The new wing is up two floors, and the penthouse extension on the balcony is taking shape.

2006-08-03T02:46:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back from vacation and, despite what Philip Johnson says, sitting on the beach beats the hell out of building construction. But now it's time to get back to business, so enjoy the new pictures!

A little reminder

2006-07-11T01:32:00.000-07:00

Amidst all the destruction and rebuilding, on a beautiful day we take a moment to savor where we are - and by the way, this will be the view from the extended terrace of the Penthouse.

The staircase looks bad, but

2006-07-11T01:30:00.000-07:00

The marble stairs beloved of generations of Bolognesi are actually covered by a protective layer of plaster so they will not be damaged during the work. Later they will be restored to their original beauty.

Views of the garden behind the library and auditorium

2006-07-11T01:26:00.000-07:00

A dangerous shot

2006-07-11T01:23:00.000-07:00

This photo, taken by our visiting engineer from Homewood, was taken while he was literally leaning out over the new elevator shaft, while yours truly is hanging on to his belt for dear life, hoping not to lose said visiting engineer (would be really bad form).

Pipes and rebar, rebar and pipes

2006-07-11T01:14:00.000-07:00

Pipes and rebar - not so exciting to look at but the essence of making the building more livable and comfortable for students, faculty and staff...

Remind you of your next dental appointment?

2006-07-11T01:09:00.000-07:00

In the meantime, destruction continues. While our contractor says most of the demolition is done, there is still the deep drone of drills reverberating throughout the building...

2006-07-11T01:03:00.000-07:00

Through the window you can see (tiny) San Luca in the distance... It is almost surreal to see the exposed beam and the curtains flapping in the open air - giving the rooftop area a warzone-like feel. Here is where three new seminar rooms/classrooms will be built to help us better cope with the scheduling of classes.

2006-07-11T01:01:00.000-07:00

A vertiginous view of the foundations of the new wing. Work continues apace in this area. In the course of a day, almost magically, you can see the progress being made.

Recognize our beloved Penthouse?

2006-07-11T00:56:00.000-07:00

Stripped to the bare bones, the Penthouse looks as if it will never recover...but never fear, it will end up looking better than ever - bigger, with an extended terrace on the side of the building where the best view is!

2006-07-06T03:10:00.000-07:00

The hole for the new elevator!

2006-07-06T03:06:00.000-07:00

Scaffolding in the auditorium...

Drilling in order to lay pipes on the staircase...

2006-07-06T03:05:00.000-07:00

Reinforcement being poured into the walls (or so it appeared).

2006-07-06T02:24:00.000-07:00

On the mezzanine, shiny new pipes and a control panel being opened.

2006-07-05T03:38:00.000-07:00

More destruction, holes everywhere, strange mechanical devices, such as the one sitting on the ground next to this man drilling...

Senior Blogger takes over

2006-07-05T02:48:00.000-07:00

Here we have the piledriver captured in a forest of stakes. The pounding continues without relief.

[If I'm the junior blogger, how come I have "admin rights" and can censor all text added to this blog? Hmm? Mwaaaahaaahaahaa - evil mastermind laughing uncontrollably - mwaaahaaahaaahaa!!!!]

2006-06-27T07:25:00.000-07:00

This will in all likelihood be my last blog entry before leaving for summer vacation. My distinguished guest-blogger will pick up the slack next week (you'll know it's her because the photography's not as good and the comments are a bit less pithy). Have a great summer everyone.

2006-06-27T07:22:00.000-07:00

More penthouse destruction. Anyone who can guess what room the two bottom pictures used to be gets a prize.

2006-06-27T07:19:00.000-07:00

Lots of tubes and wires.

2006-06-27T07:17:00.000-07:00

More earthquake-proofing under the stairs and, below, in the Director's Office.

2006-06-27T07:13:00.000-07:00

The air conduits are starting to go in the false ceiling of the auditorium, while below, the back wall has been carefully dismantled in preparation of the seismic reinforcement and the placement of the fire-escape. We have asked them to keep the original bricks (you can see them laying there), so that we can try to reconstruct the back wall, maintaining the classic BC-brick look.

2006-06-27T06:37:00.000-07:00

Everyone likes before and after pics. Here's about all we've got for now.

It's hot.

2006-06-26T05:09:00.000-07:00

For the second time this month, some joker mistakenly tore out a temperature sensor near the library, and caused the entire air-conditioning system to shut down. We are all sitting in a pool of our own sweat today, so there will be no pictures for a while. Too hot. It...is...very...hot...

2006-06-22T02:36:00.000-07:00

This guy really knows how to strike a pose. Below that, the toilet tanks, the door frames and HVAC pipes are going in, and at bottom a view of what is left of the penthouse seminar rooms.

2006-06-22T02:20:00.000-07:00

The pile-driver continues its inexorable drive. Below that you can see the piles lined up along the foundation of the new wing. At bottom, you can see exactly how far out the new wing will stretch (answer: not far. We're doing the best we can with the space the city would give us).

2006-06-22T02:01:00.000-07:00

One of our construction guys taking a smoke break in the false ceiling of the auditorium. This is NOT America!

2006-06-21T09:43:00.000-07:00

OK, blogging's been light this week; we've been extremely busy, and the changes aren't as visible as they were last week when they were smashing everything up. We'll put more pics up tomorrow, but I had to post this picture of our dashing assistant project manager for a day, Hank Baker (BC'06).

2006-06-15T08:14:00.000-07:00

This guy wishes everyone a nice long weekend. New posts next week.

2006-06-15T08:13:00.000-07:00

Individual offices are being prepped for outlets, LAN drops and telephone plugs already.

2006-06-15T08:11:00.000-07:00

The seminar rooms on the penthouse floor are no more. Below, the balcony areas are coming down.