Brody Building - Brody Neighborhood

The office area at Brody Hall’s Olin Health Services Center has newly installed cabinetry and countertops in what was once a storage room but has since been repurposed for the nurse’s office. Elsewhere throughout the hall, furniture installation continues in all offices and classrooms.

Brody Phase II

Ed Carpenter’s “Filament” glass artwork is now in place in the lobby of Brody Hall and can be seen throughout the front lobby as well as from outside.

Appliances have been installd in the break room area of the Facilities and Guest Services offices, completing the office for team member move-in. Lastly, Brody’s Olin Health Services Center now has wood-toned vinyl strip flooring and the nurse’s office has plumbing in place for its sink.

Brody Phase II

Metal framing is now in place at Brody Hall’s Olin Health Services Center area making way for the installation of a new door and window for the new office space. Outside, all concrete is now dry and the south side is well on its way to mirror the north. Also outside, the rain garden surrounding the grotto has a new metal guard rail installed.

Inside Brody Hall, the Olin Health Services Center area expansion is underway and workers have demolished sections of the waiting room wall, forming holes to frame the office window and door. In what was formerly the nurse’s office, workers have patched the window and removed the original door, forming the second examination room.

Bathrooms throughout Brody’s main level are now equipped with stall fixtures, hand dryers and soap dispensers. Also, furniture is being delivered and installed throughout the first floor. Outside, the south sidewalks have been framed and workers have begun to pour concrete. In addition, all north bike racks are now installed.

The flooring for Brody Hall’s divided classrooms is complete and work has moved to the installation of panel dividers. After receiving approval from the fire marshal, workers are free to demolish the temporary walls that separate the front of Brody from the Engagement Center.

Workers are prepared to replace the wall with a temporary fence, preventing guests from wandering through the construction zone. The Sparty’s Café booths now have overhead lighting and finishing touches have been added to all lighting and ceiling work throughout the store and cooking areas.

Brody Phase II

Mirrors are up in all bathrooms throughout Brody and flooring is complete in the team member locker areas. The six classrooms doors, which open up to the lobby of Brody Hall, are in place and have been framed with final decorative elements (wall tiling and paint). The south stairwell has been reinstalled after bars were added to its frame and looks brand new.

Semi-private study areas have received chain-style curtains, creating malleable barriers to the hallway. Due to a recent change in design, major updates are scheduled to be made to the Olin Health Services Center at Brody Hall, namely the addition of a second examination room. To do this, workers will need to demolish one wall within the center, turning a previous space into the nurse’s office and eliminating the space that was to be used for team member gathering.

Phase II

The divided classrooms within Brody Hall are being prepped for upcoming floor installation throughout the large space. The installation of lighting across the main level is complete. Finishing touches continue to surface at Brody’s Sparty’s Café, namely the installation of more benches, wood paneling and design accents, and a glass wall near the convenience area.

Across from Sparty’s, the framework for a bench outside the restroom is in place and awaits cushions. Finally, the Facilities and Guest Services offices are rapidly taking shape with doors and kitchenette cabinetry in place.

Brody Phase I

Though Phase I of Brody Hall is basically wrapped, a few updates are in order due to minor changes since its opening. First of all, the mural surrounding the planter near Boiling Point is in place and looking great. Second, workers have repainted the Veg Out sign from dark brown to taupe with light green along its back.

Brody Phase II

Since our last update, more offices and study rooms have new glass window walls. Further, much of the ceiling tiles throughout, especially in the classrooms, are either installed or about to be installed. While Sparty’s Café received its marble-like flooring more than one month ago, these past weeks saw the installation of carpeting throughout one third of the remaining space.

Phase II

Since our last update in December much has happened throughout Brody Hall’s Phase II. The south, center and north bathrooms throughout the hall’s main level have completely transformed. Each has been painted and all hardware is now installed. Workers have further begun putting up ceiling frames in many of the rooms and nearly all plaster work is complete. Throughout the hallways, light fixtures are now in place. On another note, all painting and electric work has followed environmental standards set by the University.

Sparty’s Café is also taking shape, with all cabinetry in place and most appliances on hand. Across the building, the Olin Health Center is now equipped with its entry door, both external and internal walls, and lighting installed.

Brody Phase I

The planter at the main level, front entrance of Brody Hall is now filled with plants. All that is left to finish as a part of Phase I now is the installation of the mural around the planter near Boiling Point.

Brody Phase II

Sparty’s has received new marble flooring. The base of the Sparty’s condiment counter is now in place. Workers continue to plaster the walls and overhangs around all classrooms, and the bathrooms near Sparty’s have new floor tiling to accompany the tiled walls.

Brody Phase I

The rail along the main-level ramp leading to the Grotto has been replaced and is now made of metal with a faux-wood backing. Plants have yet to arrive to complete the planter.

Brody Phase II

Tracking and metal studs have been constructed, shaping the private study rooms near the Phase II offices. In addition, wall and door framing is in place and one wall has been completely boarded. At the Sparty’s Café, a runner is in place for the gate, many walls are up and counters have begun to be installed. New tracking is in place opposite the seating wall, which also has booths in the process of receiving their final touches. Lastly, the bathrooms have new wall tiling.

Brody Phase II

Construction on the second phase of Brody is moving quickly. All classroom-area walls have been demolished and new wire frames are in place. Staff offices in the north wing have been boarded. Walls within the side entrance have been painted.

The new Sparty’s Café is really taking shape, not only are wall treatments up, but the walk-in cooler and freezer frames are in, as well as those for the convenience store area. In addition, plumbing is in place making way for the upcoming appliance installation.

Brody Phase I

A lot is new this week with regard to Phase I of Brody Hall. The grand opening is less than one week away and things are turning around very quickly. Paisley carpeting has been laid on the main floor. “Brody Square” signage is in place at the base of the grand staircase as well as above the elevator on the second floor. Furnishings are in place both at the interior and exterior of the Grotto. The Alice M. Creyts training center mural is complete. New trees, plants and bushes are have been planted throughout the grounds, and lampposts and banner poles have been installed.

Brody Phase II

Phase II at Brody Hall continues to move along. The window wall gone up on the south side, framework is in place for awnings above all restroom entrances, and, at the north end, workers have begun to put up part of one wall.

Phase I

All glass for railings and accents in the front lobby of Brody Hall has arrived, bringing the grand staircase project near completion. The Grotto continues to receive final touches as wood and tile finishings have been applied to the center fixture and the framework for the round-the-room bench is in place.

Brody Phase II

The second phase is still progressing, though a little more slowly at the moment with the grand opening (of Phase I) to be held in two weeks. All walls have been wired for electricity and equipped with electrical sockets, including at the Olin Health Services Center. In addition, contractors have finished preparing a classroom wall that will be demolished.

Phase I

The first phase of the dynamic Brody Hall renovations is nearly complete with the Grotto and the surrounding ground level estimated to be done in early October. All stations in Brody Square are now equipped with signage and the dining hall has officially been opened for business. Card swiping stations are in place along with a small seating area at the dining hall’s entrance. The grand stairwell is mostly finished though awaits glass siding.

Televisions used for both menu and information displays are installed throughout Brody Square, including at the visiting chef station meant to allow patrons to watch a grand chef’s handy work. North Brody Hall has received additional bike racks as well as a completely new sidewalk in anticipation of an influx of summertime guests resulting from the closing of Case Hall for 2011. Doors are now in place at the main entrance and private dining rooms. Most planting throughout the hall, both inside and out, is complete and the lawn in front has been hydroseeded.

The pulper is now working, shown here is the second part (on the ground level near the loading dock) which ultimately spits out the pulped waste product. Lastly, the tray accumulator is in full working condition to help lesson drop-off traffic.

 Phase II

Classroom doors that face the main lobby interior are taking shape as a preview of what is to come in the remainder of Brody Hall renovations. Duct work continues throughout and the structure for the employee locker rooms is intact. In other news, the foundation for part of the Olin Health Service Center branch and educational offices has been constructed.

All food stations are working and cleaned with most final
touches complete. Large planters scattered throughout the dining hall now have
finished tile siding but have yet to be filled with plants. The rooftop garden
is coming along nicely, having acquired the majority of its greenery and
decoration. 

The grand staircase
railing has arrived and is being prepped for installation within the week. The mini
wall surrounding the outdoor patio area of the Grotto is complete. Furniture and
final concrete will be added soon. The inside lobby is quickly taking shape as
counters have been installed and are being both sanded and painted.

Final touches to Brody Square are in the works, and office furniture has
been moved into the office spaces and team member training room. Signage for Boiling
Point (which will serve fresh-made pasta and Italian fare) has been installed
and other food venues are being cleaned of construction debris for the grand
opening, scheduled for the fall.

Outside, concrete is being laid at the loading
dock area and bases for the three planned flag poles in front of the building
are being installed.

Brody Square is nearing completion, with most of
the remaining work being final touches. Soft, booth seating and light fixtures
have been installed throughout the dining hall. Window walls to enclose both
the small and large, high-tech conference rooms have also been installed and in
the grand entrance, half of the staircase is completed.

Outside, half of the
grotto received the copper paneling. Additionally, a water tank to collect rain
water from the rain garden surrounding the grotto has been delivered and will
soon be installed. The water collected will be recycled and reused throughout
the Brody building in the dish room.

With
the last of the windows being installed, balcony rails being removed and
paneling being installed on the grotto and entryways, the exterior of the
building is nearing completion. Inside, the temporary separation wall to
separate the phase I construction, which is scheduled for completion in fall
2010, from phase II construction, which will be completed for fall 2011.

Brody
Square is coming together with most of the food venue equipment and booth
seating in place, and tile and paneling being installed. The design elements of
the dining hall continue to flourish with new paint colors and wall patterns. 

Demolition of the temporary kitchen is complete and most construction efforts are now being directed to Brody Square. The food stations are beginning to reveal themselves with additional colors, cabinets and equipment being added every day. A fireplace has been installed in the raised seating area and a rotating tray placer has been installed in the dishwashing section of the kitchen. Kitchen and bathroom tiling is mostly complete with the exception of a protective coating which is being applied to the bathroom floors to prevent cracking.

Inside the Brody Building, ceiling tile is being installed throughout various sections of Brody Square dining hall and in the manager’s office and training room. In the Brody Square’s north end, countertop was installed at the grill and drink stations. Coca-Cola Company has been on site and will install the necessary pipes to run the soda machines. At the south end, crew members have built a duel-sided fireplace between the raised dining area and the Boiling Point pasta station’s dining area. Outside, the moat-like rain guard in the front of the building is complete. Crew members are now building a retaining wall that will eventually semi-enclose the outdoor seating area.

The hanging ceiling is just about ready to be installed in the Brody Building’s spacious grand entrance area. The ceiling will add architectural appeal and will complement the mammoth student artwork that eventually will be displayed in this space.

In Brody Square, more countertop has been installed. The pizza and subs, dessert and international foods stations are really taking shape. Tile has been added to the employee restrooms on the second floor and will also soon be added to the second floor student restrooms. Outside, the moat-like rain guard surrounding the grotto is almost complete.

In the Brody Building’s back dock area, crew members recently unloaded several crates of windows to be installed on the building’s exterior. More windows are being installed on the building’s south side. In the front, back hoes are digging a trench around the grotto that will eventually hold water, forming something similar to a moat. Inside, industrial ovens, stove tops and massive countertops and work stations await installation. Brody utility project crew members are re-boring a hole, at a shallower level, and will soon pull new pipe through the new underground path they carved.

More wall studs have been installed throughout the Brody Building’s second floor. The studs frame the new accent walls, which will enhance Brody Square dining hall’s unique architectural design. A large portion of the second floor is also being prepped for acrylic flooring installation. Outside, almost all of the windows on the front of the building are in place and more metal siding has been added to the rooftop penthouse. The Brody utility project is moving along. Crew members are using a directional boring machine to pull pipe through the underground path that was drilled last week.

Subtle changes can be seen this week at the Brody construction site. Several more walls have been plastered and prepped for paint primer, and more hood vents await installation. Sections of Brody Square’s ceiling will remain exposed concrete. In those areas, painters have begun painting the bare concrete grey. Crew members are also working on leveling off more portions of the dining hall floor.

The Brody Building is showing curb appeal as pedestrians on Harrison Avenue are taking notice of the building’s morphing facade. The front of the building, still wrapped in tarp to insulate the interior, shows signs of progress with sheets of siding and insulation on the grotto and the roof’s penthouse. On the south end of the building, workers are constructing the window–wall frames that will separate the Brody Square dining hall from the second-floor greenery area. Another flight of stairs will be added onto the back dock stairwell to provide easier rooftop access. The stairwell has been prepped and the welding machine is in place to begin the process. In the dining area, more of the food venue stations have been dry walled and reinforced with a thick layer of plaster, more hood vents have been installed and more doorframes have been set in their final positions.

Inside the Brody Building, crew members are focusing on the pizza station – installing hood vents, lighting and soon, ceiling tiles. Once the majority of the pizza venue is complete, attention will be turned to one of Brody Square’s other eight venues. On the second-floor addition, a platform is being built that will eventually form a raised dining area. The obscurely shaped cut-out on the building’s south end will soon be enclosed with glass walls, allowing students to view the second-floor greenery area. Eventually, potted plants will sit on the six concrete platforms the crew recently poured in this area.

Much progress was made on the Brody building over winter break. An extensive amount of duct work was installed through out the first floor and the three back-up incinerators were installed in the new first-floor maintenance room. On the second floor, the food stations are being dry-walled and prepped for their acrylic tile installation. The concrete walls forming the back of the house, i.e. food preparation, dry storage and office areas, are complete.

The first and second floors of the large front addition have been prepped to pour their concrete flooring. Preparation included enclosing the space with sheets of plastic to maintain a warm enough temperature to pour concrete in both the grotto and second floor welcome area. On the roof, the new penthouse received insulated metal siding. Several machines were installed in this penthouse to manage the air that will circulate through the building’s renovated first-floor classrooms.

On the south side of the building, crew members are digging footings for the window wall shades, which will be installed to help block the sun’s heat and glare. In the front of the building, workers are getting ready to install the flooring in the grotto area. The floor will contain a heating system that pumps hot water through pipes to conduct warmth to the floor’s surface. Inside, concrete walls are being built to designate office and storage areas and sheets of drywall are being hung on metal wall frames throughout the second floor. On the roof, the new penthouse awaits its metal sheet siding and installation of its major mechanical components.

Crew members completed laying brick on the back dock addition, but work on the front addition’s steel frame continues. Window walls are being installed on the south side of the building where crew members are also working on dismantling a section of concrete roof to make way for the outdoor “greenery” area on the second floor. Small plants, trees and grass will be planted in this space closer to the project’s completion.

Much progress can be seen on Brody Hall from Harrison Ave. On-lookers can now see the shape of Brody’s new addition. In the back dock area, the crew began to lay bricks on the new addition to match the rest of the building. Inside, the crew continues to build the walls for future offices and special dining areas. The crew also began building some food venue stations. The pizza and burger station is no longer a sketch on the ground. Crew members followed the station’s chalk lines, drawn weeks prior on the floor to mark specific venue locations, to build the steel wall frame that will enclose the station’s kitchen.

In the front of the Brody building, workers are making sure the foundation is level. The concrete that will be poured on top of the concrete footings must be completely flush to assure building support. Other crew members are removing the form work, a system of support for freshly poured concrete. The steam tunnel is complete and awaits backfill. Inside, brackets to carry electrical work through out the second floor sit in crates on the ground. Crew members will start installing these brackets as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the concrete floor continues to be smoothed over and topped with fresh layers of concrete to ensure it is level.

Crew members are working hard to unload the heavy steel that will frame the walls of the back dock’s addition. Each steel piece is marked with white chalk to signal exactly where it belongs in the frame. The lighter colored steel pieces have been galvanized and will be placed on the addition’s roof to mount the chillers for the new air conditioning system. In the front of the building, the steam tunnel is almost complete and the concrete is almost ready to be poured into the grotto’s wooden frame. On the second floor, the crew used chalk to draw a life-size floor plan of where future counters and work-stations will stand in the new Brody cafeteria. Plans to start building a fifth penthouse on the building’s roof are underway.

Things are moving along outside at the Brody construction site. Near the back dock, steel frames are being added to the first-floor addition’s foundation. The exterior of the new utility room will soon take shape visibly. All entry ways have been stripped of their awnings and concrete porches. In the front of the building, crew members are still working on routing electrical wires out of the building through the duct bank and wooden beams now hold the shape of the soon-to-be grotto. Inside, the second floor is almost completely level. Crew members are smoothing concrete over gaps left in the flooring when the old walls were removed. More duct work has been installed on the second-floor ceiling, but much more is still needed for the future Brody Squared dining hall.

Progress is visible on Brody’s exterior. Concrete was poured into the front addition’s foundation. Metal grates and concrete were the only materials used to construct the foundation. Pipes and gas lines have been lowered into the building’s basement, and crew members are working in a five-foot crawl space to assemble the pieces. Old awnings were removed from outdoor entrances, and will eventually be replaced. On the second floor of the building, the last of the one-paned windows have been removed, making the temporary wall the only structure separating the exterior from the interior. Inside, the incinerator has been removed from the first floor and a floor-to-ceiling oven is carefully being removed from the old kitchen upstairs. Crew members were using machines to level out the concrete floor in order to prepare the floor for a new, even layer of concrete.

The transitional first floor dining hall and kitchen are complete. Carpet has been laid and tables have been set up in the dining area, and all appliances and buffet counters have been installed. Nothing more will be done to this space before the students move in. Most of the demolition is finished on the second floor. Crew members are concentrating on removing the old serving tray conveyor belt’s steel frame to complete the second floor demolition. In the front of the building, the steel foundation has been set and is almost ready for the concrete to be poured.

Crews are putting the finishing touches on the transitional kitchen and dining room in preparation for inspections by the Health Department and Fire Marshall which are scheduled for the end of July. The new exhaust valve for the hood in the kitchen is being installed, and serving equipment has begun to arrive. Doors are being installed on the dining offices just outside the transitional dining room. Upstairs, demolition continues and the space that was once contained a kitchen and several dining rooms is becoming very open. Outside, crews are finishing up work with the steam vault and are currently working on routing the steam pipes to the surrounding residence halls.

Work is progressing steadily at Brody. Outside, a cover has been installed over the steam vault and the area around the vault is being filled in with dirt. On the south side of the building crews are setting up a “lay-down area” by laying down a tarp and covering it with gravel. This will serve as an area to place trailers, heavy equipment and supplies without damaging the soil underneath. On the front of the building workers are in the process of sawing off the second-story balcony. The concrete pieces are lowered to the ground with a crane and will be sent to a recycling facility.

Throughout the Brody Complex concrete is being poured to replace the sidewalks that were torn up to install new water mains. Inside the building, crews are painting the walls of the dining managers’ offices on the south side of the building. In the transitional kitchen, flooring has been laid and walk-in coolers have been installed. In the hallway outside the kitchen, crews are installing light fixtures that were removed from the North Dining Room upstairs. Electricians are finishing up the wiring for the transitional kitchen and dining room.

Outside, a steam vault is being installed underground behind the main Brody Building. Inside, fiberglass reinforced walls, which are easier to clean than drywall, have been installed in the transitional kitchen. Along the south side of the building, walls have been erected to form offices for the dietary staff. Crews have just begun installing wiring for a stand-alone fire suppression system for the transitional kitchen and dining room. Upstairs, the final asbestos abatement is being completed in the old bakery area. In one of the dining rooms, demolition is taking place and crews are removing the heating units that were formerly in place along the wall with the windows facing Harrison Road. Crews are also working on removing old drywall from one of the dining rooms. Throughout the construction process thus far, over 5000 pounds of carpeting have been recycled.

Outside, workers are almost finished installing new water main pipes to meet East Lansing city water requirements. Inside on the main floor, workers are hanging drywall in the area that will become the transitional kitchen. Upstairs asbestos abatement continues in the one of the dining rooms and in another dining room, carpet has been ripped up, abatement has been completed and light fixtures are being removed to go to Salvage. In the upstairs kitchen, workers are removing the large metal hood for installation in the first floor temporary kitchen. All kitchen equipment has been evaluated and will either go in the first floor transitional kitchen, will be installed in other dining services across campus, or will go to Salvage. A portable restroom trailer will be placed outside on the north side of the Brody Building next week. The trailer is currently on site.

Demolition is continuing throughout the first floor of Brody, preparing space for the transitional kitchen and dining room. Outside, crews are working on the storm sewer system and Grounds crews are removing shrubbery to be ground into mulch.

Asbestos abatement on the first floor of Brody is nearing completion. Throughout the building, crews are making preparations for the major construction projects that will begin in the coming weeks. From a planning perspective, crews have been working on testing various floor covering materials for stain resistance and durability.

Asbestos abatement continues at Brody. Crews have finished the north wing first floor and are currently working in the classrooms along the east side of the building. The ceilings have been removed at the loading dock and in the compactor room. Temporary walls have also been built to separate the work areas from the occupied areas.

The main hallway and northwest entrance of the Brody Building are now closed for construction. Workers are abating areas for asbestos throughout the space, carpet has been torn up in the main hallway (revealing the floor tiles below), and work has begun within the office spaces.