BYRD BUSINESS / PARCELLS HALL - RENOVATIONS

Renovation of the Byrd Business Building and Parcells Hall includes a complete upgrade of the interior spaces including the lobby connecting the two buildings, along with infrastructure upgrades. The renovation of the Byrd Business Building and Parcells Hall supports the programmatic initiatives and long-term planning goals of the Amarillo Campus Master Plan completed in 2007, which outlines future plans for the Washington Street campus.

 

 

 Project Need

The need for the project is being driven by the following factors:


More smart classrooms needed throughout campus
Student congregation space lacking in both buildings
Space to accommodate growth in enrollment and faculty at campus
Common space in lobbies poorly utilized
Older buildings need aesthetic updates such as paint, carpet, etc.
Improve utilization of all spaces
Technology updates needed throughout
New exterior windows needed on both buildings
Buildings not updated since construction in 1968
Upgrades needed for infrastructure improvements - HVAC, electrical, plumbing
ADA Compliance

To accommodate various changes and encourage growth, campus spaces must respond by providing additional and updated classrooms and labs, more faculty offices, and providing flexible spaces. Due to repeated moves, program additions, and changes to program requirements over both building’s history, the layout of both Byrd and Parcells are inefficient and outdated. This project includes a full gut and renovation of both buildings to update and improve the buildings general layout. These improvements will offer better layout and function of the building spaces, include technology upgrades to all classrooms, and provide more efficient faculty office design.
The proposed Total Project Cost (TPC) for the renovation of the Byrd Business Building and Parcells Hall is $11.6 million.

Safety

Safety is an important element for the project as determined by faculty and staff at Amarillo College. Safety measures that should be included in the building where required or desired include but are not limited to:
 
Keyed locks with Thumb Latches
Camera Systems
Card key access at exterior doors
 

BYRD BUSINESS BUILDING

 

Today’s business school environment is increasingly technology driven. Sophisticated, state-of-the-art classrooms and real-time technology are vital in the business education field. The Byrd Business Building renovation project reconfigures approximately 41,800 GSF on three floors. Included in the renovation are classrooms, computer labs, computer classrooms, faculty offices, and shared spaces such as conference rooms and work rooms.

 The Amarillo College Business Division offers several business career pathways:
 
Accounting
Business Administration
Computer Information Systems
Food Service Management
Management
Office Administration
Paralegal
Real Estate
Travel & Tourism
 
Faculty members from the various departments in the Business Division were interviewed to assist in the pre-planning and programming phase for the Byrd Business Building renovation.
 
Project Objectives
Be distinct, professional, with high level curb appeal showing business division
Provide comfortable, modern, inviting classrooms that show professionalism
Accommodate technology needed in all spaces - power, data, proper lighting
Provide modern, updated computer labs and classrooms

The arrangement of the Byrd Business Building will realign space to allow the grouping of similar functions on each floor. The following diagram is a suggestion for how the spaces might be arranged.

 

PARCELLS HALL

 

The Parcells Hall renovation will realign several programs for better functionality. Electronic engineering spaces will be relocated to another building, likely the Durrett Hall Building. The goal of the renovation in Parcells Hall is:

§        update classrooms and labs
§        create better adjacencies among related spaces
§        improve overall function of the building 
 
The renovation of Parcells Hall involves approximately 43,779 GSF of space and will improve the overall function and layout of the spaces.
 
 
Language, Communication, and Fine Arts Division Overview
 
The Language, Communication and Fine Arts Division at Amarillo College includes thirteen departments/programs. Departments involved in the programming for the Parcells Hall renovation are: 
 
Modern Languages
Drafting
Interior Design
Mass Communication
Speech
Visual Arts (Graphic Design and Photography)
 
Project Objectives
Reduce fragmentation, improve adjacencies in each department
Encourage interdisciplinary interaction, sharing of facilities
Serve multiple needs both for campus and community
Meet needs of the programs, size each space needs of program or department
Accommodate faculty offices adjacent to labs of program
Provide student exhibition space / display
 
Due to some sharing of spaces, a preferred building stacking arrangement became evident.   General classrooms should be shared on all floors and faculty offices should be located near (or on the same floor) with the respective labs for each department.
 
The following diagram is a suggestion for how the spaces might be arranged.

 

 

Building Lobby

 

Renovation of the building lobby, shared between the Byrd and Parcells, is included as part of the scope of the project. The lobby space is currently underutilized and out of date. The goal is to make the lobby more functional, modernize the finishes, and make it more of a gathering space for students.

Swing Space


‘Swing space’ is defined as a temporary space to hold classes and labs as each respective building is being renovated. This temporary space can be used by departments while their building is being renovated. The majority of the swing space for the Byrd and Parcells renovation project will be accommodated in the Biology Building.

 

With the projected completion of the New Science Laboratory Building in December, 2009, the Biology Building functions can be moved into the new lab building. The old Biology Building will then be available for repurposing in January 2010. Existing classrooms in the Biology Building will be left ‘as is’, while the lab spaces will be cleared of lab benches and converted for other uses, such as computer labs. Temporary offices may be located in other possible swing space area such as the lobby between Byrd and Parcells.


 
 
 


 

AC SPOTLIGHT