Colorado Real Estate Journal - September 16, 2015
Western State Colorado University recently held a ceremonial groundbreaking for a $25.7 million project that will bring new life to Quigley Hall. Quigley Hall, which opened in 1967, houses Western State's music and art departments, including a recital hall, music practice and rehearsal rooms, an outdoor band shell, art studios and classrooms, gallery and faculty office space. After 48 years in service with no major remodeling, Quigley Hall needed structural, accessibility and life safety improvements, along with updated teaching, lab, studio and performance spaces to meet 21st century needs. Funded by the Colorado Department of Higher Education's Capital Construction Fund, the renovation project will add an 8,000-square-foot partial second story above the art studios, allowing Quigley Hall to remain within its existing building footprint. The new building will comprise 45,000 sf. While the groundbreaking ceremony occurred Sept. 10, actual construction on the renovation of Quigley Hall, designed by Hord Coplan Macht and being built by general contractor JE Dunn, has been underway for several months. JE Dunn began construction on Quigley Hall in May, at the end of the spring semester, when interior demolition, asbestos abatement and utility relocation were completed. During the design process, “significant faculty and student participation” helped determine design priorities for the building, ranging from better ventilation in art studios to better spaces for students to relax, said Matt Vineyard, project manager with JE Dunn. JE Dunn has also made recruitment of local and regional subcontractors a priority. The summer work enabled students and faculty to safely return in August to art lab spaces for ceramics, metalwork, silkscreen printing and woodworking. For technical reasons, these facilities could not be moved from their existing spaces in Quigley, while music programs and the rest of the art department have relocated for the year to temporary quarters elsewhere on campus. Continuing to hold classes in a construction zone brings challenges, but “The faculty and staff have been great to work with,” Vineyard said. Project superintendent Lance Toles communicates with them almost daily to determine their needs and let them know what’s happening as construction proceeds, with safety the highest priority, he added. Work at the building will include a new entry, designed to be more accessible and more welcoming. An expanded and acoustically enhanced music recital hall will include a wrap-around balcony and offstage storage space for its two grand pianos, which makes the space more flexible for performances and community events. Accessibility, life safety and systems improvements will benefit all students, along with expanded art gallery space bathed in natural light. Better soundproofing and acoustical engineering will make the music facilities a less distracting environment for learning, and safer for the hearing of students and staff. “It is extremely important that we are designing a space that will function properly for both the art and music programs and serve as a campus icon to greet visitors,” said Chris Skulley, LEED AP, project manager, Hord Coplan Macht. “With the enhancements to the Concert Hall and the enlarged gallery, Quigley Hall will become an outstanding part of the art and music community.” Both JE Dunn and Hord Coplan Macht are familiar with Western State Colorado University. Hord Coplan Macht (formerly SlaterPaull Architects) designed the renovated Taylor Hall and Welcome Center and the University Center, while JE Dunn served as general contractor for the Pinnacles apartments and Mountaineer Field House. Along with JE Dunn and Hord Coplan Macht, the Quigley Hall team includes JVA Structural Engineers, Cator Ruma & Associates and D.L. Adams Associates. Other firms contributing to the project include Ute Plumbing, EC Electric, Colorado Hazard Control, Excel Fire Protection, Schommer Construction and three Gunnison-based companies: Schmalz Construction, Hearn Excavating and Concrete Systems Inc. The existing art labs will receive extensive renovation during the summer 2016 break, before the entire Quigley Hall building returns to service in time for fall 2016 classes at Western State. Western State is located at 600 N. Adams St. in Gunnison.