Construction Science Occupies Francis Hall After $10 Million Renovation
The $10 million transformation of historic Francis Hall, the new headquarters for Texas A&M’s Department of Construction Science, into a state-of-the-art academic facility will be celebrated with a dedication set for 12:30 p.m. April 9 at the College Station Hilton, followed by an open house at Francis Hall from 2–4 p.m.
“The successful campaign to raise funds for Francis Hall’s renovation reflects a true investment partnership for the future of the construction industry between the university, the private sector and former students,” said Joe Horlen, head of the Department of Construction Science.
“The close ties we have with the industry, vital to our success in every way, make it possible for us to graduate students who are consistently in high demand,” said Horlen. “This new, state-of-the-art education and research facility will give us much needed room to grow and prepare the next generation of highly trained and uniquely able construction professionals.”
At the renovation project’s outset, designers with BRW Architects and general contractor Satterfield & Pontikes Construction Inc. were faced with the challenge of renovating and upgrading a 100-year-old building, bringing it into compliance with modern building codes and standards and equipping it with cutting-edge components — all with an eye to creating a place to prepare construction science students for leadership positions in the construction industry.
The renovated building, located in the heart of the Texas A&M campus adjacent to Evans Library, has many special features, including specialty labs for estimating and surveying, building information modeling facilities, a videoconferencing bid room and an exhibit hall.
Notable features in Francis Hall, the only building in Texas solely dedicated to construction education, include:
- State-of-the-art classrooms and lab spaces
- Student lounge and collaboration areas, including spaces for academic competition teams
- Exposed mechanical, electrical and structural systems that serve as a learning laboratory
- The capacity to increase the program’s enrollment to approximately 1,000 students
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This article originally appeared in ArchOne.
