Bing tracking

October 9, 2017: Benches and High-profile Tours

Outdoor benches
Installation of benches is underway on the patio outside the flexible classroom.

Construction Site Work

  • Outdoor benches.The benches outside the flexible classroom (pictured above) are made from Brazilian Ipe hardwood, a dense and durable wood that is naturally long-lasting. Bench installation is also in progress along the east side of the building.
  • Plantings. Landscaping crews continue with plantings on the north and west sides of the site this week.
  • Movable room partitions
    Operable partitions allow for flexible use of classroom and lab space.

    Interior walkthroughs. The final walkthrough of the basement and first-floor classrooms, labs and offices was successfully completed last week.

  • Operable partition walls. The photo at right shows the operable partition wall installed in a lab, providing flexible use of the two adjoining spaces.
  • Epoxy flooring. The epoxy floor in the roof-top green house is complete, and crews continue to work on the floor in the grow rooms this week.
  • Ceilings. The wood ceiling in the flexible classroom is substantially complete. (See photo below, at right.) Installation work continues this week on the ceilings in the skyway and common areas.
  • Second-level lobby area. Work on the ceiling and the floor is in progress in the second-floor area overlooking the lobby. (See photo below, at left.)
Ceiling and floor under construction in second-level lobby area
Work is underway on the ceiling and floor in the second-level lobby overlook area.
Ceiling installation in the flexible classroom
Ceiling installation work continues this week in the flexible classroom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Donor brick wall. The wall of donor bricks in nearing completion. The photo below at right shows the completed section of the wall on the third floor.
  • High-profile tours. Last week, members of the Augsburg Board of Regents toured the Hagfors Center as part of their fall 2017 Board meeting. (See photo below, at left.) On Monday this week, participants of the Society of College and University Planners North Central Regional Conference also toured the building.

    Donor brick wall
    The completed portion of the donor brick wall on the third level of the Hagfors Center.
Board of Regents Tour
President Paul Pribbenow addresses members of the Board of Regents during a tour of the Hagfors Center

October 2, 2017: Ceilings, walls, and floors

There is a lot going on inside the Hagfors Center this week (see below), but there also will be a bike lane and sidewalk closure this week on 20th Avenue South. McGough Construction has coordinated with the City of Minneapolis to effect this closure in order to complete some curb and sidewalk finishing work, dependent on weather, this week.

Construction Site Work

In the flexible classroom, crews continue installation of the ceiling, including lighting, electrical and mechanical fixtures.

Man in lift installing wood ceiling slats
A crew member installs lights in the flexible classroom area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the skyway, lighting, sprinkler and mechanical work is underway in the ceiling. Hand rails will also be going in this week.

Skyway with ceiling installation in progress.
Ceiling and handrail installations are in progress in the skyway

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Installation of the donor brick wall continues this week. The photo below shows the progress of the ground-floor wall, near the main lobby area.

Nearly completed wall of donor bricks
The donor brick wall on the ground floor is nearly complete

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Progress also continues in the labs. The photo below shows a basement-level lab with casework installed and installation of lab tables in process. The carriers overhead will provide power, data connections, and exhaust for the lab stations.

Lab with lab tables partially installed
Lab tables are begging to be installed in this basement lab area

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The building’s air handling systems are also coming online. The photo below shows members of the construction crew commissioning the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems for the building.

Crew members using machines to set the HVAC system
Crews setting the HVAC system for the Hagfors Center

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crews also are preparing the corridor floors for the rubber floor covering. The photo below shows the second-floor corridor, near the coffee shop, ready for floor covering installation.

Corridor with machinery
Second-floor corridor floors are being prepped for floor covering installation.

September 25, 2017: Watch for new trees, and follow standard roundabout traffic patterns

Caution when driving to and through the roundabout. The new roundabout at the intersection of 21st Avenue South and South 7th Street is a one-way, with all vehicular traffic expected to travel around the circle in a counter clockwise direction. In addition, please remember that South 7th Street is a one-way street, from east to west. Vehicles should not enter South 7th Street from the roundabout, or they will be driving in the incorrect direction. Finally, the roundabout is a no parking zone. Please be sure not to park your vehicles in the intersection or blocking the fire hydrants in the area. Illegally parked vehicles may be subject to ticketing by the City of Minneapolis.

Construction Site Work

Landscaping. The Bur Oak tree pictured below, left is the second largest tree planted on the site. (The largest was the maple tree planted in the center of the roundabout and blessed in an interfaith ceremony as part of the September 15 Nobel Peace Prize Forum events.) The tree is located on the southwest corner of the building and will be blessed as part of Augsburg’s daily chapel service on Thursday, September 28. Additional trees and plantings will be added to the west side of the Hagfors Center site this week. (See photo below, at right.)

Bur Oak planted west of Hagfors Center
This Bur Oak tree is the second largest to be planted on the Hagfors Center site.
Plantings on the west side of Hagfors
Landscaping work continues on the west side of the Hagfors Center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other exterior work. This week, handrails will be installed on the exterior staircases on the site. Crews also are finishing the lower portion of the screening on the mechanical area north of the building.This work is contingent on weather conditions.

Skyway. Installation of the ceiling grid, fin tube radiation, and hand rails begins this week in the skyway.

Flex classroom ceiling
Wood panels in the flexible classroom ceiling are beginning to be installed.

Flexible classroom. Crews are installing the wooden ceiling of the flexible classroom space this week (see photo at right), along with electrical, mechanical, lighting and sprinklers.

Other interior work. Work is in various stages of progress on the different floors of the building:

  • Basement – Crews are cleaning up and getting ready for the final review by Augsburg and HGA Architects.
  • First floor – The first floor — except the corridors — is also being prepped for final review.
  • Second floor – Completion of lab casework and installation of rubber tile and epoxy flooring are underway. Doors and hardware installation also is in progress on the second floor.
  • Third floor – Work on the third floor includes rubber and epoxy flooring in the labs, lab casework, and electrical and mechanical finishes.
  • Fourth floor – Lab casework is in progress on the fourth floor. In addition, plumbing, humidification, electrical, and grow lights are being installed in the rooftop greenhouse.

Donor brick wall. Preparations are underway for the wall that will showcase the bricks purchased by donors. The display will be located in the main lobby area of the building, on all three floors. The picture below shows the area on the main level being prepped for the first bricks to be installed.

Wall ready for donor brick installation.
A corner wall in the main lobby area on the first floor of the Hagfors Center is ready for donor bricks to be installed.

September 5, 2017: Landscaping and site work

Crews grade the area around the new roundabout at South 7th Street and 21st Avenue South
Landscaping around the roundabout.

Construction Site Work

Following the Labor Day weekend, construction crews continue with exterior and interior work on the Hagfors Center.

Roundabout. With the roundabout at the intersection of South 7th Street and 21st Avenue South set to open to pedestrian and vehicular traffic this week, crews will continue landscaping on the east and south sides of the intersection (see photo above). Once the roundabout is open, some work will still need to be completed in the area, which may affect parking near the roundabout and skyway. McGough Construction will work close with Augsburg to coordinate any related any related parking impacts.

New sidewalk. A new sidewalk now runs between the Hagfors Center and Luther Hall, connecting 20th Avenue South and 21st Avenue South (see photo below). The sidewalk is within the construction site, so is currently not open for use, but once the building is complete, this new pathway will create an east-to-west connection for pedestrians crossing campus.

Sidewalk between 20th and 21st Avenues South
New sidewalk runs from 20th Avenue South to 21st Avenue South, creating an east-to-west pedestrian path

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

North parking lot. The parking lot north of the building is ready for asphalt installation this week — a portion of which will be porous asphalt that allows rainwater to filter through it, which is part of the plans to qualify the Hagfors Center for silver LEED certification. Crews previously ran electrical conduit below the lot surface and prepared the area for proper drainage (see photo at left), then installed curb and gutter and graded the lot (see photo at right).

Electrical and drainage work on the north parking lot
Electrical and drainage work beneath the north parking lot.
Curb and gutter on the north parking lot
Curb and gutter in place on the north parking lot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

West side of Oren Gateway. Installation of the steel structure and decorative metal panel around the utilities area on the west side of Oren Gateway will be substantially completed this week. Crews will also complete landscaping around the screen wall this week.

Utility screen wall by Oren Gateway Center
Screen wall west of Oren Gateway Center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interior work. Crews are beginning window shade installation this week. Completion of other interior work is now focused on the 3rd floor of the building, while final quality control checklists are beginning to be reviewed on the lower floors.

Additional sidewalk and bike lane closure. The sidewalk and bike lane on 20th Avenue South have been re-opened but will require another closing at some point after this week to complete concrete curb and sidewalk work around the construction site. McGough Construction is coordinating with the City of Minneapolis on the timing of the closure. Watch for posted signs indicating closures in that area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

August 28, 2017: Elevators, labs, and chapel finishing work

Sidewalk and bike lane closures. McGough Construction has coordinated with the City of Minneapolis to close the sidewalk and bike lane on 20th Avenue South to accommodate concrete curb and sidewalk work around the construction site. Watch for signs indicating the closures in the area, and please continue to be safe around the construction area.

Roundabout on 21st Avenue South
The roundabout on 21st Avenue South will open for through traffic on September 6, 2017.

Construction Work:

Lobby elevator. Crews are finishing the wall area surrounding the lobby elevator doors on each level. The photo below shows the doors of the lobby elevator on the second floor.

Second-floor lobby elevator doors.
Finished walls around the lobby elevator doors on the second floor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lab equipment. Progress continues in the Hagfors Center labs. The photo at left, below, shows one-half of a teaching hood in a chemistry lab. Another unit — a mirror image of the currently installed unit — will be installed to the right of the current unit to complete the hood. In the grow room (see photo below, at right), lighting has been installed, which will simulate sunlight for the room.

Special lighting in grow rooms
Grow rooms include special lighting to simulate sunlight.

Chemistry lab teaching hood

Teaching hood in progress of being installed in a chemistry lab.

 

Chapel ceiling and walls. Crews continue work in the chapel this week. The framework for the stretched-fabric chapel ceiling has been installed. The photo below, at left, shows the framework, acoustical panels in the center, and plywood backing around the outside. Finishing of the chapel walls also is in progress, with crews installing elm wood on sections of the wall (see photo below, at right).

Chapel ceiling
Crews have installed the framework for the stretched fabric ceiling.
Chapel walls
Elm wood is being installed on the chapel walls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

August 21, 2017: Site work, paving, glass, and carpet

Notifications:

Sidewalk and bike lane closures. McGough Construction has coordinated with the City of Minneapolis to close sidewalks and bike lanes to accommodate concrete curb and sidewalk work around the construction site. The closures are expected to begin this week and will affect portions of the east side of 20th Avenue South, the south side of South 6th Street, and the west side of 21st Avenue S. Watch for signs indicating the closures in the area.

Roundabout before paving
Crews prepare the roundabout for paving.

Planned power outage. During the week of the August 21, Xcel Energy is planning to remove a utility pole at the corner of South 6th Street and 21st Ave South. This work will require a power outage affecting residences and businesses north of South 6th Street. Xcel will be communicating with its customers to confirm the timing of the outage. The power outage does not affect the Augsburg campus.

Construction Work

Roundabout paving. In addition to the sidewalk and curb work noted above, crews will be paving the roundabout this week. See the top photo at right for a picture of the progress on the roundabout as of the end of last week.

Fabrication lab with glass walls
Glass walls on this fabrication lab allow it to serve as a showcase for work in progress.

North parking lot. This week, crews will be excavating and then paving the parking lot on the north side of the building. A portion of this lot will consist of porous asphalt, which allows rainwater to filter through it and is part of the plans to qualify the Hagfors Center for silver LEED certification.

West side of Oren Gateway. Installation of the steel structure around the utilities area on the west side of Oren Gateway — across 21st Avenue South from the construction site — will begin this week.

Interior glass installation. Crews are in the process of installing interior glass throughout the building. The middle photo at right provides an image of the glass walls on a fabrication/showcase lab on the first floor of the north wing.

Carpeted office
Carpet installation is in progress in the Hagfors Center offices.

Chapel ceiling. A stretched fabric ceiling will begin to be installed this week in the Gundale Chapel. The stretched fabric system provides acoustical support for the chapel space.

Carpet installation. Carpet installation is in progress on the first floor. The bottom photo at right shows an example of the carpet in a typical office space.

August 14, 2017: Working on all levels

View of main entrance to the Hagfors Center from the rotunda
The main entrance to the Hagfors Center, seen from 7th Street South.
Corridor ceilings
The Hagfors Center corridors feature regularly spaced ceiling clouds that offer a glimpse into the mechanical installation above.

As students start to move back to campus and activity starts to gear up for the fall semester, it’s an important time to remind everyone about safety around the construction site. Only authorized personnel are allowed on the construction site until the building is open to the campus. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation in keeping the site safe!

Construction Site Work

First floor – carpet, ceiling clouds, and more. Carpet installation is starting on the first floor of the west wing this week. Crews are also hanging ceiling clouds in first-floor corridors. (See photo at right.) Electrical wall plates, data ports, and emergency exits signs are also being installed throughout the first floor.

Second floor – ceilings and flooring. Crews are installing rubber lab flooring in the labs on the second level of the building. Ceiling tile installation is also underway in the second-floor offices.

Chemistry lab
Progress continues on this chemistry lab on the third level of the Hagfors Center

Third floor – lab work and painting. Work in the labs is progressing throughout the building. The labs on the first and second levels are substantially done. The photo at right shows the status of a chemistry lab on the third floor. All lab casework will be delivered to the site by the end of this week, which is a significant milestone, and casework installation will be ongoing for some time. Painting is also in full swing on the third floor this week, as all offices have been taped and sanded in preparation for painting.

Mechanical equipment. Crews are flushing and filling the building’s mechanical equipment, getting it ready for operation.

Site work. Installation of the irrigation system is underway this week. Crews also are continuing to spread top soil throughout the site.

Roundabout. Pouring of the accent-color concrete sections continues on the roundabout this week (see photo, below). Crews will also start paving the roundabout this week, weather permitting.

Concrete work on the rotunda
Crews continue work on the accent-color concrete of the ring around the rotunda

 

August 7, 2017: University business officers tour the Hagfors Center

Members of the National Association of College and University Business Officers tour the Hagfors Center
Members of the National Association of College and University Business Officers tour the Hagfors Center during the association’s annual meeting in Minneapolis

Construction Site Work

Birds-eye view of the lobby
Birds-eye view of the substantially finished lobby.

Lobby. Finishing work completed in the Hagfors Center lobby at the end of July provided a stunning entrance experience for members of the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), who toured the building last week. (See photo above.)

The advantage of completing the intricate work of pouring the terrazzo floor earlier, rather than later, in the construction project is that it allowed time to address any issues that might have arisen. Now that the terrazzo art floor is complete, it has been covered up to protect it for the duration of the project. The photo at right shows a large portion of the terrazzo floor during the few days before it was covered.

Rooftop greenhouse. Crews are starting mechanical work in the rooftop greenhouse this week, with installation of fin tube heating.

Installation of environmental control equipment in the grow rooms.
Crews install environmental control equipment in the grow rooms.

Grow rooms. Work continues on the grow rooms this week, with the installation of environmental control equipment (see photo at right). The biology department will use the grow rooms to grow plants under controlled conditions.

Roundabout. Installation of the bollards ringing the roundabout — separating vehicle and pedestrian traffic — is in process. Plans call for 21st Avenue South and the roundabout to be re-opened for through traffic for the first day of fall semester classes, Wednesday, September 6. The roundabout is visible through the lobby windows in the photo below.

Exterior view of the suspended chapel in the Hagfors Center lobby
The suspended chapel and a glimpse of the roundabout through the windows from the third floor overlook in the Hagfors Center lobby.

 

July 17, 2017: Pouring the terrazzo floor

Crews pour the terrazzo lobby floor
Crews pour the bright blue portions of the terrazzo floor in the Hagfors Center lobby.

Construction Site Work

Crews work on the main terrace
Crews pour the charcoal-colored concrete sections of the main terrace.

Terrazzo lobby floor. Crews began pouring the terrazzo art installation on the floor of the Hagfors Center lobby (see photo above). The artist, Stan Sears, has been on site, working directly with the construction crews for this layout and installation work. Learn more about this art work in this video, narrated by Sears. Information about other art installations in the building, is available on the sponsored artwork page of the Art and Identity web site.

Terrace and sidewalk work. Concrete pours continue this week on the charcoal portions of the main terrace. (See photo, at right, of crews working on the terrace.) Concrete pours also are ongoing for the sidewalks in the rotunda area.

Transfer to permanent electrical service. The transfer from temporary power to permanent service for the building will be substantially completed this week.

Storm water basin is taking shape
The shape of the storm water basin south of the building is clearly visible on the construction site. The construction trailers in the background will be removed from the site after this week.

Storm water basin. Digging continues on the south side of the building for the storm water basin. The second photo at right shows how the basin is taking shape. This week, three construction trailers will be removed from the site to allow for the final grading in the pond area.

July 10, 2017: Preparations for the terrazzo lobby floor

Work begins this week to prepare the lobby floor for the terrazzo art installation. The artist, Stan Sears, will begin work on site to lay out the floor. To learn more about this and other art installations in the building, see the detail about the sponsored artwork on the Art and Identity web site.

Drawing of the terrazzo lobby floor
One of the art installations in the Hagfors Center is a multi-color terrazzo floor in the lobby. This image shows a conceptual design of the floor.

Construction Site Work

Removal of 6th Street curb cuts and approaches. Existing curb cuts and former driveway approaches on the south side of South 6th Street are anticipated to be removed in the next couple of weeks, The construction fence will be temporarily modified as necessary to complete the work. The curb approaches are not needed on South 6th Street because the driveway to the parking lot on the north side of the building will be built on 21st Avenue South. Regular curb will be installed along South 6h Street at a later date.

Landscaping. Excavation work continues on the storm water basin on the south side of the site. The photo below shows a glimpse of the progress on digging the basin. Crews also are spreading top soil throughout the construction site in preparation for landscaping work.

Excavation work on the storm water basin
Digging the storm water basin is in process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Terrace work. Crews will also pour charcoal-color concrete bands on the building’s south terrace. The colored concrete is the darker color shown in the drawing of the main entrance plan (below). A similar pattern will also ring the rotunda area.

A drawing of the main entrance terrace and rotunda
Close up of the main entrance site plan shows the terrace and paved rotunda area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rotunda. The curb that forms the inner ring of the rotunda has been poured, and crews now are working on the curb that will form the outer ring. (See photos below.)

Crews continue work on the inner- and outer-ring curbs of the rotunda at the intersection of 21st Avenue South and South 7th Street.
Crews continue work on the inner- and outer-ring curbs of the rotunda at the intersection of 21st Avenue South and South 7th Street.
A view of the rotunda from inside the skyway. This photo also provides a glimpse of the artwork on the skyway glass.
A view of the rotunda from inside the skyway. This photo also provides a glimpse of the artwork on the skyway glass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lobby ceiling. Crews have finished installing the elm wood that surrounds the chapel suspended over the Hagfors Center lobby. (See photos below.)

Elm wood lobby ceiling
Elm wood has been installed underneath the suspended chapel, wrapping up to the exterior walls of the chapel.
Elm wood on the exterior walls of the suspended chapel
A side view shows the elm wood wall on the exterior of the suspended chapel wrapping around to the lobby ceiling underneath the chapel.