Last month, a building team managed by Turner Construction completed a $3.12 renovation of Emily Thigpen Hall, a 30,000-sf, three-story women’s residence hall on the Huntsville campus of Alabama A&M University.
The renovation didn’t alter the building’s basic footprint, and the construction crews took care to maintain its historical exterior. The building’s original ceilings, bathrooms, and flooring were demolished and then updated with modern finishes.
Turner has been the university’s construction manager, and essentially its owner’s rep, since 2016. The building team on the Thigpen Hall project included Nola Van Peursem Architects, Moody Nolan, Lee Builders, Mims Engineering, and EE Group. The project, whose construction started in July 2018, was brought in on time and under budget, according to Turner.
“Turner has not only worked to restore and modernize Thigpen Hall, one of the historic structures on the campus, thus demonstrating the university's commitment to historic preservation, but they also continue to invest in the future of Alabama A&M by providing our students with practical experience,” said AAMU President Dr. Andrew Hugine Jr.
According to a spokesperson, Turner has been working with alumni and interns from Alabama A&M on all of its projects for the university.
Since opening its office in Huntsville in 1955, Turner has been involved in numerous local buildings, including the Davidson Center for Space Exploration and its freestanding Saturn V rocket, the Huntsville Botanical Garden Welcome Center, the Von Braun Center, ADTRAN, Torch Technologies, Davidson Technologies, the Huntsville Chamber of Commerce, and the Huntsville Public Library.
It is currently in preconstruction for AAMU’s new events center and arena.
Emily Thigpen Hall is named after the Dean of Women for Alabama A&M College from 1944 through 1951.
Related Stories
Higher Education | May 31, 2017
Space utilization in higher education: more than sf per student
There’s more to space utilization than how often a room is occupied. What happens inside an occupied room is just as important.
Reconstruction & Renovation | May 30, 2017
Achieving deep energy retrofits in historic and modern-era buildings [AIA course]
Success in retrofit projects requires an entirely different mindset than in new construction, writes Randolph Croxton, FAIA, LEED AP, President of Croxton Collaborative Architects.
Libraries | May 16, 2017
A New York-area community college adds new zest to its library
Wired seating and group work areas abound.
Healthcare Facilities | May 16, 2017
University of Pennsylvania’s new $1.5 billion hospital is being built with the future in mind
The Pavilion broke ground on May 3.
University Buildings | Apr 28, 2017
Suburban Chicago college breaks ground on aviation-themed student center
The design of the center is meant to pay tribute to the university’s heritage in aviation and aeronautics.
University Buildings | Apr 26, 2017
UMass Amherst is home to America’s first CLT academic building
The building brings the architecture, landscape architecture, and building technology departments under one roof.
Higher Education | Apr 24, 2017
Small colleges face challenges — and opportunities
Moody’s Investor Service forecasts that closure rates for small institutions will triple in the coming years, and mergers will double.
University Buildings | Mar 8, 2017
Massive mixed-use residential village on USC’s Los Angeles campus on schedule to open this fall
Prefabrication of the six buildings’ walls reduced construction time by a year.
School Construction | Feb 26, 2017
A new survey finds education construction activity going strong this year
Surveys of school districts and colleges, though, raise questions about financing for future projects.
University Buildings | Jan 10, 2017
UMass Amherst’s Isenberg School of Business to receive modern, twisted addition from BIG
The 70,000-sf building was developed in collaboration with Boston-based Goody Clancy.