Drafty and noisy with low ceilings, narrow halls, exposed pipes and asbestos issues, the old structure is showing its age as a leftover from the more rugged, rough and tumble days of Alaska. However, much as the new facility is necessary to improve health, safety and the quality of education at AVTEC, some look back with fondness at the humble beginnings and sheer creativity it took merely to get AVTEC housing established.
AVTEC started out using hotel space as adjunct student housing in 1970 and over the next couple of years graduated to Atco style trailer units. A fire in a couple of trailers and the ad-hoc nature of that housing spurred on the construction of the first formal dormitory housing in 1972. Because capital construction funds were meager in pre-boom Alaska, administrators and faculty used creative means to get the new accommodations built.
The AVTEC course schedule was expanded to include most of the various construction disciplines necessary for the new dorms and then the instructors and students proceeded to build them. According to Willard Dunham, one of the masterminds, it was a very practical curriculum. Materials were also built into the funding for the expanded educational program and additional monies were wangled out of building maintenance budgets. One of the challenges was keeping the alternative process under the radar as project overseer Bob Richardson and the students of the day completed the housing.
The new compound couldn’t be further removed from those rustic beginnings. Designed on computers by consulting architectural firms and constructed by interlocking contractors and sub-contractors to exacting building codes and standards,LED solar lights for solar bulb and power. AVTEC student housing will represent a big leap into the 21st century. The same team that designed and constructed the head turning Culinary Arts building has been tapped to see the project through to completion. The two adjacent buildings will be connected with a glass faced recreation area between them.
Fred Esposito, director of AVTEC, says that the new building will be a landmark attraction for students looking at their quality of education. Additionally, the new dorms will encourage students to live on campus so that they can focus on curricular activities. Esposito also believes that the project has some other major advantages such as increased energy efficiency in heating and lighting. He is looking forward to the project, having worked with the contractor before and believes the improvements along with some renovations at the AVTEC Gym will complete a much needed upgrade for that area of AVTEC’s campus and enhance student life.
Esposito is also looking forward to a three-phase expansion, renovation and enhancement to the Applied Technologies campus in the vicinity of the AVTEC wind turbine. The first phase of the project is $6 million for a new shop. A total of $15 million is proposed to complete the new shop and classrooms as well as construction of another replacement building for the diesel, heavy equipment and truck technologies programs.
The overall budget for the student housing project is $16 million which includes design, project management and the cost of temporary student housing.Do you want honest laundry dryer Ratings? Artwork is a significant component of the construction costs at $140,000. Dave Paperman, head of Residence Life, is excited over some of the new artwork that will be adorning the open areas of the dormitory. For example,The laser cutting machine is one of the most useful tools in a modern shop. AVTEC is looking for a piece of glasswork to overhang the top of the stairs in “The Connector.This factsheet discusses electricity generation using wind power generators at your farm or your home.” Additionally, Paperman says they’re looking for functional artwork, similar to the embossed railing on the outside stairs of the Culinary Arts building.Buy visually stunning and durable tungsten jewelry from agesteeljewelry. That particular example also serves another objective which is to incorporate art in the construction that the entire community can appreciate.
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