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• Tour of the Michigan Union at The University of Michigan

  • When
    Monday, March 02, 2020
  •  
    4:30 PM - 5:45 PM
  • Location
    North Entrance, Michigan Union, 530 South State Street, Ann Arbor
  • Spaces left
    0
  • Registered
    25 registrants

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  AIA Huron Valley is pleased to provide an architectural tour of the recently completed Michigan Union Project at the University of Michigan

  
  

  Location: Meet at the north entrance of the Michigan Union
  

  Parking: Metered street parking and parking structures are nearby

  Continuing Education: This presentation will be accredited for 1.25 total LU/HSW continuing education credit 

  Event Description:

  • Arrive by 4:20 PM to check in 
  • 4:30-5:45 - Tour of the completed project, led by Diana Adzemovic, Lead Design Manager in Architecture, Engineering and Construction at U of M, along with the Director of the Michigan Union

  Presentation Overview:  

  The Michigan Union renovation focused on repairs and improvements of the building envelope, the building infrastructure, handicapped accessibility, reorganizing the layout of the building to provide communal areas on the main lower floors and move the offices upstairs, creation of an enclosed courtyard, and restoration of many of the historic features of the building.  The project cost was $85.2 million, covering 255,000 SF of space,and the schedule was very challenging as the building was closed during construction.  The project involved a strong programming component in order to be a truly collaborative process and this has resulted in a completed project that has been well received.  We will meet at the Michigan Union's North Entrance, redesigned to be more welcoming and featuring an enclosed ramp.  

  Learning Objectives: 

  1.  The Michigan Union was built in 4 stages by different architects in 1919, 1930, 1936-37, and 1956-57.  The original drawings were discovered and used for reference.  The challenges of working with a historic building will be discussed with regard to the different materials and construction strategies over time, the restoration of the stained glass windows, and the historical component of a building with origins that did not allow women or honor diversity.  The preservation architects were T. Lee Becker and Hartman-Cox Architects of Washington DC. 

  2. We will discuss issues of adding an elevator to this building and other considerations for handicapped accessibility.  

  3. We will discuss the improvements made to the building envelope and challenges presented by the existing building.  All windows were replaced, including restoration of the stained glass windows, the roof was replaced, and a skylight was added to enclose the courtyard.  

  4. We will discuss the programming of the project that took place over several years and involved many different constituents.  There were programming efforts is 2006-7, in 2010, and finally in 2015.  The final programming involved 60-70 meetings with student groups, alumni, staff, faculty, and other constituents to develop a program that met the needs of all and resulted in a truly collaborative process.  The process of balancing desires for preservation of not touching the building with desires for updates to be more diverse and inclusive will be discussed.  Workshop Architects from Milwaukee was the architect for the programming work.  

  5. The challenges of the construction schedule will be discussed and the difficulty of closing this building for over a year.  Construction started in May of 2018 and was completed in December of 2019, requiring work through weekends and nights.  Walbridge was the General Contractor.  

  6. Improvements to the infrastructure and technological upgrades will be reviewed in the context of updating this historic building - deep infrastructure renewal included life safety, electrical, mechanical and plumbing system improvements, elevator replacements and upgrades, and restroom upgrades.  

  
  

  Cost: FREE for AIAHV Members, Associate Members and Students, $35 for Non-Members

  Questions? Contact: Theresa Angelini, tangelini@angeliniarchitects.com 

  Please register soon as spaces are limited!

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