After hosting a successful tree-planting service toward the end of last week, the landscaping and implementation of many “green” design features continues to take place on the interior and exterior of the Hagfors Center.

Read more about the specific developments that took place last week and those that will continue this week.

Construction Site Work

“Live Roof”– Trays with various species and shades of sedum were installed last week on the new, green rooftop garden resting above the Hagfors Center’s flexible classroom (pictured, above).  

Greenhouse- Mechanical equipment is being installed in the greenhouse (pictured, right) to manage humidity, heating, and cooling.

Landscaping- Exterior landscaping work continues after the successful placement of a mature State Street Maple in the roundabout. Another of the largest trees, second to the maple, is the Bur Oak (pictured, right), which will be planted to the west of the building this week.

Sod- The entire plot south of the Hagfors Center, near Anderson Hall, was covered with fresh sod (pictured, below).

Parking lot- Finishing work took place in the newly paved parking lot as crews painted striping lines to mark the parking spaces.

Skyway- Final metal panels will be installed on the underside of the skyway.

Corridors- Rubber floor tile is being installed and, aside from the base trim that has yet to be placed, first floor corridors are nearly complete.

Christ Learning Commons- Wood-slat ceilings are being installed, and audio visual for the projection system in the Hagfors Center’s flexible classroom are being worked on this week. The aforementioned “Live Roof” rests above this learning space.

Aquarium room– Epoxy will be laid as a moisture barrier on the floor of the aquarium room this week.

Chemistry labs– Plumbing is being finalized and copper lines will be tested in chemistry labs on the third floor.

Gundale Chapel– The chapel ceiling was finished last week. All that remains at the chapel ceiling is the installation of artwork (taking place in late November), which will hang from the cables (pictured, right). Other work in the chapel includes the installation of carpet along with the installation of a glass panel, which will be placed between the two wood panels comprising the feature wall.

Significant landscaping, sidewalk, and road work have been finished just in time to welcome the newest class of Auggies! With the reopening of 21st Avenue, students, faculty and staff, and members of the community (and their dogs!) are now able to walk and drive through our newly constructed surroundings and admire the work that’s been accomplished over the summer.

Read more about the specific developments that took place last week and those that will continue this week.

Construction Site Work

Roundabout: Last week, for the first time, the new Hagfors Center roundabout and sidewalks were open to vehicular traffic and pedestrians. McGough is still coordinating additional work in this area with Augsburg and the city, so please be mindful of speed while passing through (photo, above).

Tree planting: Augsburg’s vision to host an urban arboretum is currently being realized with the planting of various species of trees near the entrance and along the east side. This Thursday and Friday, 21st Avenue and 7th Street will be closed to make room for the delivery of a mature State Street Maple that will be planted in the roundabout – and for the gathering centered around this event. The tree-planting ceremony will take place at 5 p.m., following the Nobel Peace Prize Forum’s final plenary session on Friday, September 15. NPPF guests will be led by Campus Ministry, Interfaith Fellows, 4 Dakota Riders and Ojibwe Water Walkers in an interfaith communal blessing.

Landscaping: Additional landscape work will continue to take place as crews lay sod at the beginning of this week in the south and east portions of the site.

Pavement and lighting: Porous pavement has been installed in the north parking lot, and light poles have been erected (photo, right).

Labs: The labs on first floor along the east side of the building are almost complete (photo, right).

Flooring and corridors: Rubber tile flooring in the first floor corridors will be placed this week, while work to complete door installation continues. On the first and second floor, epoxy flooring is being poured in areas requiring a higher level of water resistance (photo, below).

Mechanical: Specialists will begin to test the mechanical heating and cooling equipment this week. This equipment was placed early in the construction phase due to its size and will finally be operationalized in the next few days.

Finishing work in the Hagfors Center lobby is making rapid progress as continued wood panel installation, terrazzo art work, and lighting placement are being diligently undertaken by crews and supporting staff. For a look at last week’s progress and this week’s priorities, continue reading below.

Construction Site Work

The roundabout. A blend of regular and colored concrete will be poured this week to form the walkways circling the roundabout (photo, above).

Interior finishes. Work in interior spaces continued last week as bathrooms were tiled, acoustical ceiling tiles on the first level offices were installed, and lighting was hung in the main lobby (photo, right).

Grow rooms. 18-feet by 15-feet grow rooms (similar in form to walk-in freezers), were installed in the grow rooms for the biology department. In the next two weeks, the project will finish with the installation of special lighting and shelves (photo below, left).

Terrazzo. Finishes on the terrazzo floor are taking place this week (see photo of last week’s progress below, right). Next week we can anticipate a dramatic before/after picture highlighting the work done in the final phase to complete the installation.

Exterior work. Foundational landscape work continues as the sprinkler irrigation system for planting is embedded in the green space surrounding the Hagfors Center.

Mechanical missioning. Piping for the heating system was recently cleaned and is being filled with a water mixture. Testing, balancing, and commissioning of this system will then begin.

While the behind-the-scene work continues (electrical, grading, ventilation, etc.), this phase of construction tends to be even more exciting for onlookers. Much of the interior and exterior finishing work is taking place so rapidly that passers-by are able to more readily see concept become reality.

Highlights from this week and progress from last week include:

Terrazzo lobby floor. This week, crews are entering the completion phase for the Hagfors Center’s terrazzo art installation (see photo above – also, see last week’s update for a view of the progress and information regarding the concept). The process of grinding it with finer and finer stones, then finishing with a special sealer for preservation, begins this week.

The roundabout. Prep work and grading is complete, and concrete pours for the sidewalks circling the roundabout (see photo, right) will take place this week.

Stormwater basin. The construction trailers, used as offices for site supervisors and as a meeting point for touring donors, were removed last week to make room for excavation, allowing crews to finish grading for the stormwater basin.

Oren Gateway. Concrete pours surrounding Oren Gateway (pictured, below) are yet another finish that started last week and will continue through this week.

Grow rooms. Installation of grow rooms will begin this week. These rooms are climate-controlled chambers used for plant research.

Carpet installation. On the interior, flooring installation continues. Resilient flooring started previously and will be moving up to the second floor while office areas are being prepped for carpet installation.

Last May, the building crews for the Hagfors Center were just beginning to break ground and lay basic foundations. This side-by-side comparison of the construction site from last year to this year shows how much progress can be made in twelve short months. Read below to learn more about last week’s highlights and this week’s priorities.

Construction Site Work

• Closure of 21st Avenue South; restricted parking in Lot A. In order to accommodate the next phase of construction, a portion of 21st Avenue South and South 7th Street are now closed to pedestrian and street traffic through the summer. Pedestrians are still able to cross 21st Avenue South to access Anderson and Luther residence halls to the south of the construction site; and vehicles can still

  

  access South 8th Street and the parking lots south of it. Vehicles and pedestrians are able to use the north end of 21st Avenue South to access Riverside Avenue, South 6th Street, the driveway adjacent to Oren Gateway Center, and the private home south of Oren. Augsburg also has designated Lot A as construction-related parking only. Special permits are required to park in that lot.

• Seating. The site’s three, gray-toned, concrete benches took form last week (pictured, right) after being formed and poured. Crews will now focus on backfilling and leveling the ground around the perimeter of the curved structures.

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  Sidewalks. Crews are continuing to develop the walkways along the east side of the building and 7th Street this week by forming and pouring the concrete for sidewalks (weather permitting).

• Skyway. Artist Teri Kwant’s glass art instillation was finally set in place and now offers a uniquely layered perspective of downtown for those passing through (pictured, right). Now that the artistic glass has been set, work can begin on sealing up the skyway – which will start with installation of the spray foam at the head of the skyway.
• Main entrance. Crews are beginning to install the window system flanking the center’s west entrance.
• Main lobby. Recessed lighting was installed and strategically positioned to illuminate the elm walls in the lobby while shade pockets in the learning commons and main lobby are being placed along the windows (see design, bottom right).

  

• Basement flooring. The installation of a few colors of flooring for the building’s basement level began and will continue through this week. The flooring includes colored rubber at classroom and lab entry alcoves that coordinates with the color of the exterior fins (pictured, bottom left).

  

Roofs, generators, drywall, and seating… Yet another week of progress was made on schedule and under budget thanks to the hard and thoughtful work of our crews and contractors. Read more about last week’s accomplishments and this week’s plans:

Construction Site Work

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  Closure of 21st Avenue South; restricted parking in Lot A. In order to accommodate the next phase of construction, a portion of 21st Avenue South and South 7th Street are now closed to pedestrian and street traffic through the summer. Pedestrians are still able to cross 21st Avenue South to access Anderson and Luther residence halls to the south of the construction site; and vehicles can still access South 8th Street and the parking lots south of it. Vehicles and pedestrians are able to use the north end of 21st Avenue South to access Riverside Avenue, South 6th Street, the driveway adjacent to Oren Gateway Center, and the private home south of Oren. Augsburg also has designated Lot A as construction-related parking only. Special permits are required to park in that lot.

• Drywall delivery. The classrooms, hallways, meeting rooms, and more are coming together as the crews continue to drywall the interior. The crane (pictured, right) is transporting sheets of drywall to the second level as members of the crew wait to receive and install. 
• Generator set. Prep work on the generator set continues this week. Weather permitting, the Hagfors Center will have permanent power by the end of the month.

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  Site work. Progress on the concrete seating continues this week. The crews are completing the pour with a (grey) colored concrete that will shape the benches. Prep work for the sidewalks along 21st Avenue will also begin weather permitting (photo, right).

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  Precast finished. A milestone was reached as the last precast panel was set last week finishing the exterior facade (photo, bottom right) .

• Skyway. Spray foam was installed under the skyway last week. The installation of bird-safe glass walls and final framing along the sides of the skyway will be completed this week.
• Roof. Metal panels around the curtain wall (glass wall of the chapel) and the perimeter of the roof are being installed (photo, bottom left).
• Site utility work. The city will be connecting and installing water mains along the west side of the site, along 20th Avenue South.

  

New sidewalks, new seating, a new roundabout, and sunny skies. The work being done this week around Hagfors will offer a more concrete vision (literally and figuratively) of the new, emerging landscape for campus pedestrians.

See below for additional updates on this week’s construction work.

Construction Site Work

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  Closure of 21st Avenue South; restricted parking in Lot A. In order to accommodate the next phase of construction, a portion of 21st Avenue South and South 7th Street are now closed to pedestrian and street traffic through the summer. Pedestrians are still able to cross 21st Avenue South to access Anderson and Luther residence halls to the south of the construction site; and vehicles can still access South 8th Street and the parking lots south of it. Vehicles and pedestrians are able to use the north end of 21st Avenue South to access Riverside Avenue, South 6th Street, the driveway adjacent to Oren Gateway Center, and the private home south of Oren. Augsburg also has designated Lot A as construction-related parking only. Special permits are required to park in that lot.

• The roundabout. Site work for what will be the roundabout at the intersection of 21st Avenue South and South 7th Street — just outside the main entrance to the building — is underway. Crews are removing sidewalks and starting excavation to prepare for this work (see photo).
• Outdoor seating. Concrete pours for seating areas along the east side of the building (21st Avenue South) are scheduled this week.
• Skyway. Final framing and for the exterior glass will be completed on the skyway walls, as framing and insulation for the underside of the skyway begin (see photo).
• Skip hoist. The skip hoist on the north end of the building has been removed, crews will begin installing the precast brick panels where the skip hoist used to be. A mobile crane has been erected on site for this work (see photo).
• Emergency generator pad. Crews will begin to pour concrete for the emergency generator pad in the electrical yard on the north side of the building.
• Rooftop. Installation of the louvers on the screen wall for the rooftop mechanical area is underway this week The louvers allow for air circulation to the the mechanical area while hiding the mechanical equipment from view.
• Grow rooms. Some of the equipment has arrived for two of the biology “grow rooms” (see photo).
• Freight elevator. The freight elevator at the north end of the building has passed inspection and is now operational (see photo from last week).Going forward, crews will use this elevator, instead of the external skip hoist, to move equipment and materials to upper floors.

Last week was an exciting one at Augsburg! With events ranging from commencement and baccalaureate to moving-out, there was no shortage of busy activity. And, while students were lifting and loading their belongings out of the dorms, the lifting and loading continued at Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion.

CONSTRUCTION SITE WORK

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  Closure of 21st Avenue South; restricted parking in Lot A. In order to accommodate the next phase of construction, a portion of 21st Avenue South and South 7th Street are now closed to pedestrian and street traffic through the summer. Pedestrians will continue to be able to cross 21st Avenue South to access Anderson and Luther residence halls to the south of the construction site; and vehicles will continue to have access to South 8th Street and the parking lots south of it. Vehicles and pedestrians will also continue to be able to use the north end of 21st Avenue South to access Riverside Avenue, South 6th Street, the driveway adjacent to Oren Gateway Center, and the private home south of Oren. Augsburg also has designated Lot A as construction-related parking only. Special permits are required to park in that lot.

• Skyway. Skyway construction reached a milestone last week as crews finished the insulation and final roofing.

  

  Crews also began installing the framing for the skyway glass and will begin framing for the metal panels on the underside this week. See photos at right.

• Window fins. Noticeable progress has been made on the exterior, as crews have begun installing the colorful

  

  fins on the bump-outs framing the windows, adding a splash of color to the building.

• A bath for the building. Work on the walkways surrounding the building will be underway soon, so crews took this last opportunity to bring heavy equipment and vehicles near the building to give it a quick wash (see photo at right).
• Skip hoist removal. The skip hoist on the north side of the building is scheduled to be removed this week. Exterior finishes in that area will be installed following removal of the skip hoist.
• Hagfors Center coffee shop. Though not immediately apparent from the picture to the right, a new header and framing now provide the basic structure to continue working on the coffee shop that will be located near the skyway entrance on the second level.
• Interior. Laboratory casework is being installed on first level, and painting is underway on both the first and second floors.