Construction is nearing completion on Beauregard Hall, the University’s primary science building.According to Mike Davis, assistant vice president for administration, a lot has been done already and the building is close to being finished. Davis says that the project should be substantially complete right before Christmas. So far, sheet rock has been hung, the workers are in the midst of painting and within weeks the air conditioning system should be running.
One focus of the project is designing it to be accessible for the disabled. The hall is being brought up to Americans with Disabilities Act compliance. It will feature three handicap ramps, two on the Madewood Drive side of the building and one on the Quadrangle side of the building. The elevators will be redesigned to become more accessible to the handicapped and automatic door openers will also be installed.
Davis had said Beauregard Hall is highly energy inefficient. Davis said Nicholls hopes to change that by making the building more state of the art. By adding fewer rooms, the new building will have a higher level of efficiency. The hall will also become much more energy efficient with the introduction of the double insulated glass. These windows will keep the cool air in and the warm air out reducing reliance upon the buildigs air-conditioning units.
The Nicholls community can expect to see science laboratories, faculty offices and at least two classrooms in the new building.
Davis commended the contractors hired to do the renovating. The Lemoine Company, LLC based out of Lafayette is already three months ahead of schedule.
With the project set to be finished right before Christmas, the month of January will be reserved for the last minute details to the updated building. Furniture should start arriving by Feb. 1 and Davis expects that they will be able to move the furniture in immediately.
The University has been requesting funds from the state to focus on this project for more than twenty years. The funds were approved last year with a $14.8 million price tag with construction beginning earlier this year.
