It's Harrington for the Holidays!

From the second floor of Harrington C it's a special wish for a Safe and Happy Holiday Season and Happy New Year 2011! All we want this year is Peace on Earth, Goodwill Towards Men and a National Championship in Texas in the New Year!

Warner Halll...a timeless gem in the UD dorm system

Walking into Warner Hall is like a step back in time to the days at the turn of the last century when in 1914 it became the first residence hall for the new Women's College that was created within the University of Delaware. At nearly 100 years old now, the building got a dramatic facelift in the late nineties as part of the Mall Project renovations. This summer, the plan is to update the finishes with new carpeting and furniture that will enhance rather than detract from the old style look. Looking north in the photo in the large assemble room on the 1st floor, the plan will be to replace and reuse furniture throughout the building without changing the overall style and appearence.

Minor "reno" for Harrington A/B Kitchen Area

Here is the video blog for this week explaining what happens when a 40-year old refrigerator's time is up!

Keeping the campus in tune!

At UD, resident students have access to a piano in every dorm under a program that began years ago. In addition to providing the pianos in public areas, they are manintained as far as minor repairs go and professionally tuned twice and sometimes three times in an academic year. In the past twelve months we have embarked on a program to trade in our older models with a dozen or so like new models that have significantly raised the bar for the whole inventory across campus. One of the locations for one of the newest models is in Smyth where an old baby grand piano was replaced this past week with an almost brand new model that has already earned praise from some of the residents. Other spots where the newer ones went in included Harter, Lane, Thomas McKean, and Christiana Commons. In the photo is the new grand in the Smyth main lounge.

No "Ceiling" on fixing things up!

In Dickinson D basement, a summer maintenance issue required the removal of all the previously glued ceiling tiles. The tiles were not appealing looking and rather than replace them one for one, it was decided to "suspend" a ceiling with gridwork when going back to make the area in this study lounge more professional when you do have to look up. The finished appearence is preferable to the old, even if it is "just a ceiling."

Bigger isn't always...but is usually better!

This fall we are in the process of mounting all the flat screen TVs that previously were on shelves, mostly in East and Central Campuses, onto adjacent walls. This should not affect in any way the actual viewing experience. The TVs attached to the walls have not become victims of theft as have some of the units sitting on the shelves. While in the process of attaching them to the walls, several locations will receive larger screen units like in Russell C main lounge and in the photo depicted from Smyth Hall basement lounge.

Rodney E/F storage to be converted to more "thoughtful" purpose

This fall, a storage room for extended housing furniture in the basement of Rodney E/F will be re-purposed into a dedicated study room. This will allow residents of Rodney E/F to enjoy the same advantage that the other four Rodney buildings have, namely a room just for studying in the basement. Although the extended housing furniture will still be needed in the future, there are other locations around the Complex and nearby the buildings where the furniture can be more suitably stored, allowing the room to be set up for studying. Updates on the status of the new studying room and when it will be opening will be communicated through the Rodney Residence Life Staff.

Dickinson B "scores" new rubber floors...

In addition to Christiana East, the Dickinson B floor lounges were used as "guinea pigs" for a new flooring solution that can be used in place of carpet. The new rubber flooring is much easier to maintain in high traffic areas and also in lounges that get alot of late night studying and snack eating in addition to just regular wear and tear. The floor lounges were also painted a few years back to give them a more modern look and the final piece will be looking into new lighting that will look less "institutional."

Prepare to be floored in Christiana East!

This summer, we removed the old worn carpet in the first floor short hallway of Christiana East Tower and replaced it with a new rubber floor. The rubber floor is a new surface for the campus that should be easier to take care of and keep clean as this is a major traffic area for folks entering and exiting the East Tower. The best part was that the flooring was free to UD as part of a promotion from the manufacturer. If the new flooring is a success, we plan to put it in the short hallway on the third floor of Christiana West, which also gets a lot of traffic from people coming in and out from the parking lot.

"Addressing" dresser issues in Dickinson Complex

Last fall, Dickinson E and F residents moved in to new dressers in each room. The dressers they replaced were more than 20 years old and smaller than any other dresser on campus. The primary reason that the smaller dressers were purchased many years ago was to give residents more room by taking up less space. When a decision was made to replace the dressers as their life cycle was up, Residence Life and the Dickinson Complex Community Council were contacted to see what the current residents would like for a new dresser style. We gave them some samples to try that were more in line with what was supplied in other areas. The feedback resulted in the model that we selected for Dickinson, which was 6" wider than the old dresser, but about the same height. Residents seem pleased with the new model so this summer we purchased enough new dressers from the same supplier to "complete" the Complex from A through D. The old dressers were removed from Campus in June by a liquidator that intends to re-use them. In the photo, the new dressers are lined up in the Dickinson C/D tubeways awaiting delivery into the rooms.

More drawer space coming in Rodney this fall

This fall, students in Rodney E and Rodney F will get a new wardrobe that is similar to the ones in the new buildings up at Laird Campus. The new wardrobe replaces the older models that were over 20 years old and ready for retirement. The old wardrobes will have a new life through a liquidator that refurbishes old furniture and gives it new life. The most popular feature of the new wardrobes is the three additional dresser drawers on the left side of the unit. The pieces are a full 7 inches higher than the old model also resulting in more space inside. Rodney never had built in closets so students there have always used a stand alone wardrobe. The photo this week shows the wardrobes lined up outside of Rodney E waiting to be moved inside by the furniture company.

Christiana West just got more comfortable

Phase II of a summer mattress replacement plan started in June of 2009 on floors 9-16 finished up with all mattresses on Christiana West floors 1-8 being replaced. The Tower was already occupied with summer groups so the replacement involved first removing the old mattresses in the morning, and then replacing the new mattresses prior to the end of the day so that residents would have a bed to sleep on that night. All of the old mattresses were taken away by Ohio Mattress Recovery, a firm that specializes in recycling old mattresses into pet beds and other alternative uses. Our life cycle for mattresses are approximately 10 years as these mattresses were initially installed in 1999. Next summer we will return to Christiana Complex to replace mattresses in half of the East Tower and then the other half in the summer of 2012.

Hallways in Rodney B are sharp!

This summer, the hallways in Rodney B are being re-carpeted. Facilities evaluates the carpeting in all public spaces throughout campus on an annual basis, and also takes into consideration a life cycle standard of approximately 10 years for hallway carpet. Some buildings made have more wear than others and don't reach the 10 year cycle prior to replacement while other buildings may exceed 10 years in wear and still look great so it evens out in the long run. Decisions are usually made in consultation with the Custodial Staff. If the carpet does not need replaced but can be patched, stretched, or extracted; this can also tend to lengthen the life cycle.

Transforming a basement space for a new life in Brown Hall

This summer a plan was conceived to change the purpose of one of the rooms in the basement of Brown Hall that was formerly used as a fitness area. The fitness area included an old "Universal" weight machine that had been in Brown Hall for many decades. Given that Brown Hall is not far from the Carpenter Sports Center, our folks at Evironmental Health & Safety determined that it was not safe to have students using the equipment in this room unsupervised with the potential for a serious injury to occur and with possibly no one around to adminster first aid or call for help. Therefore our plan was to dismantle the old equipment and have it's metal content recycled by nearby Newark Recycling. Now the room is being prepared with a rubber floor that will allow for low impact aerobics, pilates, and or yoga. Additional plans for the room include adding a television and a sound system down the road. The photo shows the room with most of the equipment hauled out in advance of the new flooring.

Study area outside Dickinson Computing Center gets a curb appeal boost!

This summer the carpeting and floor tile was replaced in the study area just outside the Dickinson Computing Center site in the basement of Dickinson C. The project had to be postponed until the summer due to the fact that there was old asbestos tile under the old carpet and tile. Our environmental term contractor handled safely removing the asbestos and then the new carpet and tile was installed last week. In addition to a new paint job and new window treatments, the whole study area looks much improved.

Putting on shades for the summer!

This summer we replaced the venetian blinds in seven Central Campus residence halls. The new Mecho shades that were installed complete the campus with this standard for window treatments. We have found that the Mecho shades are more durable and easier to repair than the old blinds. The photo shows old blinds in Brown Hall on the left and new blinds on the right in New Castle. The buildings that were completed were Warner, New Castle, Kent, Brown, Harter, Sharp and Sypherd. Cannon, Squire, Sussex, and Smyth were completed last summer.

Sharp Hall receives new hallway carpeting

In a serious of summer posts I will be highlighting the projects that are transforming the campus residence halls this summer. One of the first projects to be completed is replacement of the carpet in the hallways of Sharp. The old carpet will be recycled. Sharp also received new Mecho shade window treatments as well as many other Central Campus buildings. These will be spotlighted next week as that project finishes up.

Sharp Hall among those slated for new___this summer.

Sharp Hall is getting new hallway carpeting and Mecho shades on the stduent room windows this summer. It's part of the annual package of replacements and upgrades scheduled to happen during the summer of 2010. The rest of North and South Central rooms, except for Squire, Sussex, Smyth, and Cannon; which received new shades last summer; will also get the new window treatments. In addition to Sharp, Rodney B will be getting new hallway carpet. We will be wrapping up the rest of West Tower with new mattresses, as well as most of the North central buildings. Dickinson A-D will get new dressers and Rodney E-F will get new wardrobes to go with the new dressers they received last summer. A number of smaller upgrades will happen across campus including new lighting in Dickinson basements. It's all part of maintaining the qaulity experience of living on campus at UD.

Hitting the books in the basement!

With Finals Week "just around the corner," the Dickinson Complex Community Council helped us to plan for re-furbished study areas in the underutilized Dickinson Complex basements. Using their input, we are setting up a Quiet Study Lounge theme and a Group Study Lounge theme in each of the two shared basements so students can either work on their studying alone or in collaborate with a group. Characteristics of the Group Study Area will be a large 4 foot by 6 foot white board, sofas and other soft seating arrangements, and tables. The Quiet Study areas will have all study carrells and will emphasize studying alone. All the areas are being upgraded so that they have wall to wall carpeting, new Mecho shades on the windows, and new and brighter lighting. Signage now identifies the difference between the two areas. Hopefully this collaboration between Facilities and the Dickinson Student Government Group, will result in higher satisfaction and greater use of the areas.

Earth Day - Do Your Part When The Time Comes!

On Earth Day it is important to make plans for how you are going to "Get Out Green," when the time comes for move out in late May. We are here to help, by continuing a program that we started last year to encourage students to recycle, rather than pitch out old room carpets. This year we are making plans to take our test program campus wide, by providing a spot for every residence hall student to leave the carpets so they can be picked up and recycled. Since the process of recycling still takes energy to round up and re-manufacture the old carpets into something new, the best course of action is to re-use your carpet or take it with you to use in another location. Look for the "Get Out Green" posters that will be coming to a residence hall near you in the coming weeks to participate in our efforts to keep the carpets from going to the landfill! In the photo, the carpets from our pilot program in Independence and Thomas McKean Halls are headed for the recycling bin.

Dry Erase Board, Part II

An earlier post talked about a paint that created a dry erase surface that we tried up at the first floor study lounge in Thomas McKean. Residents of Harrington Complex have also been asking for an option in a study area to collaborate with a dry erase board and Sherwin Willliams has partnered with UD to try a new option, which is a sheet of dry erase material that is fairly simple to afix to a wall and create any size dry erase board you want. This past Tuesday they gave us a sample surface in the Harrington A/B Commons Quiet Study Lounge that looks great and is a "big screen" horizontal surface that should allow for more than adequate writing space. We also plan to do an area in the Harrington C Commons Lounge before the end of the school year.

Brown Hall floor facelift during Spring Break

Residents of Brown Hall will be returning from Spring Break to a new floor in the Main lobby of the Green and north hallway of the building. The new flooring is Safety Zone tile that reduces the possibility of slipping when there's traffic into the space during rain and snow. The new floor has a pattern and replaces the former flooring, which was failing. The work was done during Spring Break to minimize the impact on residents.

New seating successfully installed in Rodney

In between storms, Monday March 1st was a decent day to put new sofas and loveseats in Rodney C, D, and F. The new furniture for the floor lounges replaces pieces from another company that we no longer use. Since those pieces were still functional, they have been recycled into the new "West Side Lounge," being developed in the former Rodney Dining Hall fitness area. Other extra furniture from this project will be used in the upstairs and basement Rodney Complex Commons Lounge areas. The photo depicts the new floor lounge furniture in the first floor of Rodney F.

See what's cooking in Dickinson!

Last spring we talked to residents of Dickinson through their Complex Coordinating Council about what they really would like to see in the Complex that would improve the experience of living in that area of campus. The concensus was that Dickinson was the only complex around campus that did not have the option for students to use a public area kitchen to make special meals or just as a once in a while break from the dining hall. We had to work with the University Fire Marshall, Kevin McSweeney, in order to make sure that we created a safe and efficient kitchen. We spent last fall working out the details and during January we were able to make the new kitchens a reality in the A/B, C/D and E/F Commons areas. The kitchens make the most efficient use of a small space with a new over the counter microwave, a 20" stove with Safe-T-Element burners, and a new countertop with larger sink. In addition, there are full size refrigerators in the next door lounge area to use with the appliances. As the photo shows, we packed a lot into a tight space. The work on designing and creating the new kitchens was all completed by our Housing Carpenters, Senior Mechanics, and Painters.

Retro-fitting an old Fitness Center

This week if you've happened to walk by the old Rodney Fitness Center that was inside the Rodney Dining Hall, you will have noticed alot of activity inside this room in preparation of a whole new re-design of the space. The former Fitness Area depicted in this photo after the exercise machines were removed, was closed down this fall but that doesn't mean the space is going to remain empty. Students in West Campus were asked by Residence Life to submit their ideas for re-use of the space and after review of all the ideas, it was decided that a multi-purpose entertainment and lounging area would become the new focal point in West Campus serving the residents of Rodney and Dickinson. In addition to new carpeting and ensuring wireless internet availability throughout the room through a newly installed access point, the new space will also feature a ceiling projector with a pull down wide screen for TV viewing or internet web surfing; two addition smaller flat screen TVs mounted on two of the walls at either end of the room; loveseats and sofas for lounging as well as stackable chairs to accomodate addtional seating for viewing special events; and freshly painted wall areas for displaying student artwork. A grand opening is scheduled for March 15, 2010.

Hitting the right note for residence hall music

Included with each residence hall on UD Campus is a public area piano for those inclined to tickle the ivories day or night. We have several grand pianos in George Read North, Russell A/B, Smyth Hall and Warner Hall; as well as upright pianos in all other locations. During Winter Session we invested additional resources into our piano inventory across campus in order to better serve those that enjoy using the pianos. We switched out some old oianos with "newer" used pianos in Dickinson A/B, Rodney A/B, Rodney E/F, Russell C, and George Read South; while our piano tuner did major re-conditioning work on pianos in Christiana Commons, Ray Street Complex, Rodney C/D and Dickinson E/F. It's all part of helping to contribute to the community atmosphere in the residence halls. In our picture this week we see the new piano in Rodney A/B being carefull hauled down the basement steps of Rodney B, no simple task.

Safe-T-Elements, Part II, Christiana West Tower

As in the post last week, this week highlights our continuing program to replace all our traditional electrical stoves on campus with the new Safe-T-Element model that reduces the risk of unattending cooking fires. With the help of Kevin McSweeney, our University Fire Marshall, we managed to replace all the stoves in Christiana West on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. Although we first removed the old stoves in the morning, we minimized the disruption to those students here for Winter Session by delivering to them the new stove prior to the end the day. Again as was the case with the Conover West installation, all the stoves were sent to Diamond State Recycling Company in Wilmington, so that there metal content could be re-used. Also, all cardboard packing material for the new stoves was recycled by our Grounds Department.

Conover West gets Safe-T-Element Stoves

Welcome to the New Year and another 12 months of replacements, renos, switches, and various other miscellaneous improvements on UD Campus. We started the new year this week by replacing all the stoves in our graduate housing area in Conover West Apartments with Safe-T-Element stoves. The Safe-T-Element feature prevents unattended cooking fires by regulating the temperature of the burners so that they do not exceed a certain degree, even if left on. Traditional coil burners continue to heat up if left unattended potentially causing a fire. Next week we will be replacing all the stoves in Christiana West with the same Safe-T-Element stoves. After that, all residence hall cooking areas will have the stoves except for the last phase that will hit Residence Life Apartments in the Spring. The photo shows the old stoves being loaded up in a dumpster that won't be going to a landfill, but will be picked up by Diamond State Recycling Company so that the stoves will be recycled and not trashed.