{"447531":{"#nid":"447531","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Renovations Come to Tech Tower","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s most recognizable landmark will undergo a $7.5 million renovation beginning in a few weeks.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EThe Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans Administration Building, widely known as Tech Tower, will get a major upgrade of its plumbing, electrical, and heating and cooling systems, as well as the addition of a second interior fire exit stairwell and a new elevator. The building will be vacated by mid-October, with its occupants temporarily relocating to other buildings on campus. The Registrar\u2019s Office will move to the Savant Building, the College of Sciences Dean\u2019s Office will relocate to Cherry Emerson, and the College of Engineering Dean\u2019s Office will move to the MiRC\/Pettit Building until the renovation is completed in late 2016.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u201cTech Tower is a historic landmark as well as a working building,\u201d said Linda Daniels, associate director, Capital Planning and Space Management (CPSM). \u201cThe renovation will not be flashy. It is primarily a fire, life safety, and accessibility renovation designed to improve occupant safety and comfort as well as the building\u2019s overall energy efficiency.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EOne visibly noticeable change being made is that the elevator, which currently only serves the ground through third floors, will be replaced and extended to the fourth floor. The orientation of the elevator doors will change, and the new elevator will be faster and bigger to accommodate emergency personnel and their equipment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EThe second interior fire exit stairwell to be added will take up part of the first-floor break room and conference room, as well as some office space on the third and fourth floors. The new interior fire exit stairs will eliminate the need for the metal fire exit stairs currently attached to the building\u2019s exterior. The most notable changes to the building\u2019s exterior will be the removal of the metal stairs and window air conditioning units. New windows are also being considered.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EWhen the renovation is complete, the public corridor on the ground floor, with its entrance on Uncle Heinie Way, will be \u201cmore inviting\u201d and brought up to the standard of the public corridors on the other floors. The Registrar\u2019s Office will return to the first floor. The second floor plan will better meet the needs of the College of Sciences, and the space will have finishes similar to the first floor. The College of Engineering\u2019s third floor layout will go largely unchanged. A significant portion of the fourth floor will house the building\u2019s new air handling system, and the College of Engineering space there will be reworked around it.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EThe Administration Building, one of the original buildings when Tech opened its doors in October 1888, is part of the historic district known as \u201cthe Hill.\u201d In preparation for the renovation, Stevens and Wilkinson, the architect-of-record for the renovation, conducted a thorough study of the building\u2019s history.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EAccording to Daniels, if architectural or historical features are uncovered during the renovation, the architects will attempt to incorporate them into the final design.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u201cThe building is being renovated in a way that is historically respectful of the original circulation system, including the central staircase, which was torn down in the 1960s,\u201d Daniels noted. She said the renovation is also being done with the future in mind.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u201cThe first floor space currently occupied by the Registrar\u2019s Office service counter was once a public assembly hall \u2014 a historically significant space. The renovation planning allows that space to be restored later, in a meaningful and appropriate way.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s most recognizable landmark will undergo a $7.5 million renovation beginning in a few weeks.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u2019s most recognizable landmark will undergo a $7.5 million renovation beginning in a few weeks."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2015-09-14 14:25:35","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:19:33","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-09-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2015-09-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"365221":{"id":"365221","type":"image","title":"Tech Tower","body":null,"created":"1449245805","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:16:45","changed":"1475895100","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:51:40","alt":"Tech Tower","file":{"fid":"201664","name":"08c1004-p4-073_1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/08c1004-p4-073_1_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/08c1004-p4-073_1_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":839989,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/08c1004-p4-073_1_0.jpg?itok=noYbNWST"}},"373671":{"id":"373671","type":"image","title":"Tech Tower","body":null,"created":"1449246186","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:23:06","changed":"1475894352","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:39:12","alt":"Tech Tower","file":{"fid":"75105","name":"15c6001-p6-003.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/15c6001-p6-003.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/15c6001-p6-003.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":759372,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/15c6001-p6-003.jpg?itok=yVZYK7Nc"}}},"media_ids":["365221","373671"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/registrar.gatech.edu\/","title":"Office of the Registrar"},{"url":"http:\/\/facilities.gatech.edu\/","title":"Facilities"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1400","name":"Construction"},{"id":"3157","name":"Facilities"},{"id":"172","name":"infrastructure"},{"id":"12675","name":"office of the registrar"},{"id":"8275","name":"renovation"},{"id":"8409","name":"Tech Tower"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:victor.rogers@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EVictor Rogers\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jrose38@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJessica Rose\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFacilities Management\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}