Hall of Science Updates

Updates on the Hall of Sciences following a burst pipe on Sunday, February 8, 2014.

Update 3/16

Dear members of the Drew community,

Since the sprinkler pipe burst in the Hall of Sciences on February 8, Drew has worked closely with its contractors on repairs and improvements–all areas damaged by the pipe burst are restored and are open for use as of today.
The pipe burst was the result of a faulty installation that exposed the pipe to freezing temperatures. The resulting break caused significant water damage to the surrounding area including walls, flooring, ceilings, insulation and lighting on both floors of the Psychology Wing.

Repairs began on February 13 and continued through the first two weeks of March. Work included replacement of carpet, ceiling tile, insulation, lighting, window treatments, wall board, baseboards and window sills and paint, plus repairs to electrical and plumbing systems.
Throughout the process, air quality was regularly monitored to ensure a safe and clean environment.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation!

Best,

Mike Kopas

Assistant Vice President
Administration and University Relations/Facilities

Update 2/17

Dear members of the Drew community,

Since a sprinkler pipe burst in the Hall of Sciences on February 8, Drew has been working closely with contractors and engineers to identify the cause, assess damage and develop a schedule for repairs.

The pipe burst was due to a faulty installation within an area that exposed the pipe to freezing temperatures. The resulting break caused significant water damage to the surrounding area including walls, flooring, ceilings, insulation and lighting on both floors of the psychology wing.

Repairs began on February 13 and will continue through the first week of March–all damaged walls, flooring, etc will be restored to their original condition–and the entire space should be repaired, cleaned and operational before the campus returns from Spring Break. Scheduled work includes replacing carpet, ceiling tile, insulation, lighting, window treatments, wall board, baseboards and window sills, as well as repairs to electrical and plumbing systems.

Additionally, the Hall of Sciences renovation project remains on track for by early summer 2015.

As items are replaced and repairs are made, we will continue to monitor air quality regularly to ensure that the building remains safe. Our goal remains ensuring that research, teaching and learning in the space continues with as little disruption as possible.

Thank you for your continued patience and cooperation.

Best,
Mike

Update 2/9 4:45pm

Thanks to the quick work of several teams on campus, we have been able to set up the former BC Chapel (located across from the Cafe) as the replacement classroom for HS 3A. We have also been able to relocate each of the classes held in HS 3B to rooms noted below.

Update 2/9

I am writing to update you on what occurred in the Hall of Sciences this weekend, where we are now and next steps. Although some of you may already have some of these details, we want to ensure that everyone has the same information moving forward.

On Sunday, a sprinkler pipe on the second floor of the new psychology wing of the Hall burst, causing varying degrees of damage to the second floor, first floor and the basement. Nearly every room in the newly finished wing was affected, including the two classrooms adjacent to the Rotunda and all the laboratories.

The pipe break was caught very early—the fire department was alerted as soon as the sprinkler system was breached. Mike Kopas was on-site within minutes and I arrived shortly thereafter.

Investigation of the cause has already started and a team is currently on-site assessing the damage and creating a remediation plan. We plan to share details on immediate next steps with you in the next several days.

The unaffected areas of the Hall of Sciences re-opened this morning, with the exception of the Rotunda, which will remain closed. We emailed details on alternative class spaces yesterday, and any additional information on space changes will be shared as necessary. Dean Taylor is working directly with affected faculty members as well.

This is not happy news–the Hall renovations are a significant project–but we will recover. The leadership team is collaborating closely to ensure that everyone is safe, that accurate information is shared quickly and that we have head start on next steps.

Best regards,

MaryAnn Baenninger
President
Drew University

Update 2/8 7:50pm