Although the University’s School of Architecture in Atkinson Hall doesn’t currently have any disabled students, it is in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The school is now undergoing $450,000 in renovations to bring its building up to code.
The renovations, which began this summer, include making the bathrooms handicap accessible, installing an elevator, which will allow access to all three floors, and updating two studio rooms.
Before the renovations, the University could have faced legal action if a person would have decided to bring the issue to court. Although there were handicapped students in the past, there were never any legal issues despite its inaccessibility, said Charlie Gauthier, manager of
Facility Services.
The only accessibility Atkinson had prior to the construction was a service elevator on the side of the building, which could carry a wheelchair up the threshold to the first floor, but there was never wheelchair accessibility for the second floor. This caused problems for handicapped students, forcing them to remain only on the first floor for classes or requiring the school to amend the master schedule.
The project has been in the works for three years, but Gauthier said it was always up to the government whether to fund it or not and it took a while to finally receive the money.
Though the project’s price tag is certain, the expected completion date is less clear.
Director of the School of Architecture Jori Erdman said she was told the construction would be completed prior to the beginning of the semester and it would not interrupt classes. However, the renovations are still incomplete.
Erdman said the project is “certainly behind the schedule we were told,” and the school had to relocate three studios to the design building temporarily because of construction work.
The Daily Reveille previously reported the construction would be completed before class with only the installation of the elevator remaining following the start of school. The elevator was expected to be completed by September, according to Facility Services Associate Director Sam Territo.
Despite Erdman’s certainty, Gauthier said the project is not behind deadline but rather ahead of schedule. The contractor has a deadline of mid-October, he said, and all of the renovations are expected to be complete by then.
Gauthier said once the construction is completed in October, there will be 45 days available to complete smaller “punch list items,” like changing one tile or touching up a wall. This could mean that full completion may not be until early December.
After the 45 days, there are “liquidated damages that the contractor can go into for not completing on time,” Gauthier said. But this is not something he expects.
Currently the classrooms and the restrooms on the first and second floor are complete, but the basement bathrooms and elevator are still under construction.
The exact date of completion may not be determined, but at least one man will benefit from finally having an elevator in the building which has housed his office for the past 20 years.
Professor Robert Zwirn has long-term osteoarthritis in both knees, which has become
increasingly more severe over the past two years, causing Zwirn to schedule most of his classes on the first floor.
Zwirn teaches a class in the basement this semester and said he is happy to have the new elevator to assist him.
As an architect, creating a building with accessibility is standard to all designs, but the architecture professors were teaching accessibility in a building not currently accessible, Zwirn said.
“We’re just all very happy that we’ve entered the 20th century.”
“We’re just all very happy that we’ve entered the 20th century.”

Gallery • 7 Photos

Charles Champagne

Thomas W. Atkinson Hall continues to ongo construction Friday, Aug. 23, 2103 in order for it to be handicap accessible.