Many of you know the Lecture Hall, and most other building on campus, were built in the 70’s during a time when many public buildings were built in the architectural style of Brutalism. The Lecture Hall itself is what I would consider an extreme version of brutalism. There have been various “trends” in styles of architecture over recent time. There was the Craftsman Style (which I’m very fond of), Post Modernism, Modernism, Deconstructionism, and Brutalism to name a few. Deconstructionism was mostly developed as a philosophy movement. But some architects got into it in thinking it as a way to move on from Modernism and Post Modernism. I was taught that Brutalism was formed on a new-found respect for its socialist principals and was also a celebration of raw concrete. There are good and bad design examples of Brutalism, as well as other architectural styles. Yet Brutalism became very popular from the mid-50’s to the mid-70’s and now is considered to be one of the most vilified architectural styles of last century.

I found an interesting article in The Seattle Times this week regarding the old Nuclear Reactor building at the University of Washington, which is an example of Brutalism. Some people consider it to be a truly, truly ugly structure. Within this article I discovered that a local architecture critic, Larry Cheek, previously described it in the Seattle-Post Intelligencer: “To some of us, it’s the bastard love child of Brutalism and Burger King.” But Cheek now advocates for saving it stating: “We need to save a handful of Brutalist-style buildings to remind us how bad they were and we don’t do that ever again. They are cold, ugly, inhumane.” He should come on down to Evergreen to see that we are doing our share of keeping the Brutalist-style alive. I have not seen the building at UW that he referred to, but I assume it is a bad example of Brutalism. I think the original buildings we have on the Evergreen campus are better examples of Brutalism.

With our Lecture Hall building we are doing a combination of things. We are retaining some of the exterior walls, yet adding a more modern addition to it that will be much more welcoming and properly addressing Red Square. The plan is to clean up the remaining “fluted” concrete walls so they are not so weathered looking. The addition will be more modern in presence being clad in metal wall panels that will in an abstract way replicate the vertical fluted pattern of those original walls.

This week we had another big slab pour of the area that will be Lecture Hall 4, as well as the installation of masonry block walls in Lecture Hall 3 which will support the new floor structure. While the weather cooperated on Wednesday we also began the excavation for the new addition. Metal roof panels and structural steel installation also continued. Next week should be more of the same.

One last thing. Our General Contractor on the Lecture Hall, Absher Construction, reached out to me in wanting to give back to our local community. They informed me their company likes to do so in communities in which they perform work. They wanted to give holiday meals to those less fortunate and wanted a good local source that could benefit from their altruism. The twist is they had perishable items, so it couldn’t just be donating canned food to the Thurston County Food Bank. I told them about Quixote Village and how their program might be a good candidate. Anyway, Absher contacted the staff at Quixote Village who were certainly open to perishable food donations for their residents. I went along with them yesterday afternoon to help in delivering the meals. We delivered 50 frozen turkeys and 50 bags of food containing potatoes, stuffing, gravy, rolls, green beans, cranberries, and brownie mix. Just writing about all this food is making me hungry!

Happy Friday to you all,
Tim

Well, well, well another Friday it is.

Boy there was a lot of activity on the Lecture Hall construction site yesterday. The day went by fast for me being I was a coordinating fiend.

Over the past summer we discovered a few problems with our underground water system in the vicinity of the Lecture Hall. When we attempted to shut off a water line one of the water valves refused to work (for some reason those last three words remind me of a former co-worker). Anyway, we also noticed the grass was nice and green around one of the fire hydrants near the Lecture Hall. Why would that grass be green while all the other lawn areas were bone dry and looking dead? As I assumed, the fire hydrant was leaking and should be replaced. So, we’ll be replacing a broken water valve, and not one, but two fire hydrants will be replaced over the next week. One of those is on the west side of Lab II, which is not leaking, but was not exactly working the way it should when the fire department last tested it. Anyway, I’m working with a separate contractor on this water valve and fire hydrant project.

Next week on the Lecture Hall the structural steel infill framing will continue. We also began the installation of the new metal roof decking. Those guys are really noisy with their work. If you hear a bunch of sudden “boom” and “bang” sounds emanating from the site it is likely from those steelworkers. I think it is because they are out of sight and want to be sure the guys below them know they are up there and are actually working. Or maybe they are insecure and are just looking for attention?

Next week we will have masons starting to construction support walls for the new floor framing. Excavation will begin to accommodate the new building addition. Formwork and concrete pouring will continue, as well as more metal roof decking.

Here are two photos for you. One is in black and white looking at old Lecture Hall 3. I just like the contrast in the wall openings which are now evident because of the roof decking that has been installed. The other I took from the roof of Lab II which shows the roof decking installation in progress.

You can also see the new infill concrete walls that have been installed and the formwork for the infill walls where the buttresses have been removed. And look how green the lawn is beyond! It seems like it was just yesterday when it was pale and lifeless.

Happy Friday to you all!

Cheers,
Tim

Brrr! It was sure cold this morning. During this time of year I’d rather have the sun and the cold on some days, and others the warmer air and clouds can work for me just as well. But enough about the weather.

Some not so pleasant stuff has gone down on campus and in the world since my last construction digest. Pretty serious stuff; especially in Paris. Well, you may recall a photo I provided last week of some of the workers on the Lecture Hall project. Mel is one of the guys in that main photo. His wife was assaulted earlier this week at her place of employment by a disgruntled worker, word is she was really beat up and has major head trauma; no word yet on her current condition. Our thoughts are with him and his family. As you all likely know by now, one of our own Greener’s, Kort Jungle, died on Wednesday. I did not ever get to formally meet Kort, but he did e-mail me just two weeks ago regarding one of my Friday email updates. Here is what he sent to me:

“Timothy,

My name is Kort Jungel. I manage Receiving & Mail and have been a student, a full-time employee or a “hanger-on” since Sept of 1972. When I first arrived as an 18 year old freshmen I was impressed by much of the landscaping including that around the lecture halls.

I have several prints of the Pine trees when they were 6-8 feet tall! These photos were taken with a Montgomery Ward’s instamatic and they still hold up. Once I digitize them I’ll send a few along.
Kort”

Because of his passing I cannot help but think of my ultimate fate. Many of you have some fond memories of Kort and conveyed very kind words about what kind of person he was. All I can say is I’m certain it would make my family proud if my co-workers and friends had the same thing to say about me as you all did about Kort. He sounded like a really good person to work with and to know.

Behind the green fence new structural steel infill framing began this week at the roof level and will continue on for at least the next few weeks. Formwork and rebar installation continues and another concrete pour is scheduled for next week. To the left side of the photo you can see a steel worker up on a man lift inside future Lecture Hall 4 – he is adding some steel support members. To the right you might think something looks wrong with the clock tower; not only does it look like it is leaning over, but the time is wrong on one of the sides. Can you tell which one?

Enjoy the upcoming short week, and have a profoundly enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday. It is almost hard to believe that my next Friday update will be in the month of December.

Cheers!
Tim