Renovation work at Dartmouth College’s Rockefeller Center has been completed ahead of the fall academic calendar, requiring construction teams to coordinate upgrades while keeping the occupied facility operational.
Highlights
The Rockefeller Center project involved a broad interior renovation program designed to modernize building systems while maintaining operations.
Neagley & Chase removed and replaced existing common-area ceilings and coordinated upgrades to lighting and controls. The work also included replacing sprinkler heads and cleaning and replacing components of the HVAC system throughout the facility.
Because the building remained occupied during construction, sequencing and workflow coordination were key elements of the project. Preconstruction planning helped establish an approach that allowed the work to progress while limiting disruption to building users.
Completing the work before the fall academic calendar added a firm schedule requirement to the renovation. The project illustrates the coordination challenges associated with construction in active higher education facilities, where contractors must balance building operations, system upgrades and academic schedules.
For college and university owners, occupied-building renovations can require detailed phasing, early procurement planning and close coordination among construction teams and facility personnel. These considerations can be particularly important when multiple building systems are being upgraded simultaneously.
The Dartmouth project demonstrates how preconstruction planning and sequencing can help contractors deliver complex renovations in occupied educational facilities. For higher education owners, careful scheduling can reduce operational disruptions while allowing aging interior finishes and building systems to be modernized.
Source: Neagley & Chase.
