Ithaca Builds

Mapping, photos and information for Ithaca construction and development projects

Klarman Hall Site Excavation & Staging

September 4, 2013 // by Jason Henderson

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Klarman Hall’s site contains more materials since two weeks ago, and there’s been some excavation of what looks like a storm drainage line that goes under East Ave, draining from East to West. The slope along East Ave has been dug down slightly, and the windows on Goldwin Smith Hall will probably be boarded up soon so that they are protected once further excavation begins. If you haven’t seen it yet, check out Cornell’s info page on the project: Klarman Hall.

Klarman Hall Project Schedule

August 2, 2013 // by Jason Henderson

Cornell has a handy FAQ page for this project, and there’s now a project schedule to go along with it (embedded below). Bids are due in September with contractor mobilization in early November. It says the windows on Goldwin will be boarded up to protect them from rock blasting, so I imagine this is the major component of excavation to get the land along East Ave. lowered to the proper grade. The concrete retaining wall along East Ave should follow the excavation.

Klarman Hall Site Photos

July 23, 2013 // by Jason Henderson

Randomly caught a rare moment when no cars or people were traversing East Ave, so here’s a panorama of Goldwin Smith and some shots of the current site. Wish I had centered this shot better, but as you can see from the architectural rendering, Klarman’s roofline will intersect Goldwin’s dormer windows. Much of Goldwin’s roof will still be prominently visible, but not much of the eastern facade, which is understandable. Goldwin contains no main eastern entrances, so walking along East Ave would give you the impression that you’re staring at the back of the building, which is the case anyway.

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Klarman Hall Final Site Plan Presentation

July 18, 2013 // by Jason Henderson

Here’s the final site plan presentation to the City of Ithaca Planning Board back in May. This one focuses on material finish selections, and various specific exterior and interior elevations. The interior Atrium elevation is interesting, showing how the Klarman Hall atrium supports will hang just slightly above the top of Goldwin Smith’s rotunda, and as seen in earlier presentations, some sections of the rotunda wall will be punched-through and the rotunda itself will be completely renovated for a cafe counter and ample seating arrangements, an inventive re-use of the structure . Lots of granite, sandstone, concrete, glass, and acoustical wall panels; all very modern and high-end.

This PDF is quite large, so some slides may look like gibberish until it fully loads.

Klarman Hall Site Photos

July 12, 2013 // by Jason Henderson

The chain-link fence is up, the LeChase Construction sign is inconspicuously resting behind the bushes, the modular construction trailer is in place, and various trees have been cut down. I suppose this one will probably begin with some careful excavation work to avoid damage to Goldwin Smith Hall, which was built over 100 years ago. This project will be interesting to watch.

Klarman Hall Second Site Plan Presentation

July 6, 2013 // by Jason Henderson

This one is a larger file, and was presented to the City of Ithaca Planning Board back in April. It further clarifies the connections between Goldwin Smith and the planned building (in renders and within the elevations), has additional interior renderings, full-plate floor plans per each level, explains future accommodations of artwork, and lots of exterior renders viewing the spaces between Goldwin and Klarman, and outside Klarman on East Ave. All in all, it’s quite impressive- these slides provide a good indication of what the building will look like, and how it will interface with Goldwin Smith Hall.

Klarman Hall Initial Site Plan Presentation

June 27, 2013 // by Jason Henderson

The first PDF here is Cornell’s Facilities Services brief on this capital project, and the second is the initial presentation to the City of Ithaca Planning Board by Koetter Kim & Associates, the architects (they also did Clark Hall, the super-modern Physical Sciences Building across the street; for a peek inside, see Ithacating’s article). Right off the bat, I think it’s fascinating to see the contrast between this style of architecture and the historic academic buildings. Many college campuses exhibit this dynamic, since it isn’t feasible or desirable to build stone palaces anymore, but the Cornell campus certainly showcases some impressive work that attempts to balance this dichotomy.

Even if you’re not wild about modern architecture, or the contrast itself, it’s quite clear that Klarman Hall was designed to mesh and enhance programmatic elements. As you can see in the floor plans, the new structure will compliment Goldwin Smith’s symmetry by adding two interior hall wings, and passage space between the existing and new wing sets. In addition, the project creates a large open atrium space with a glass ceiling. Since Ithaca is usually quite cold, large interior spaces allowing abundant light can be imperative for students (or staff) less comfortable with the cold, grey, miserable season.

The technologies to be employed on this project are astounding as well. The aim is for LEED Platinum certification, so everything from occupancy & daylight light sensors to VAV duct controls are planned. I’ll single-out VAV (Variable air volume) systems because their usage is becoming more widespread now: essentially it controls the air handling and circulation units from the occupancy sensors. Most buildings waste a massive amount of energy servicing fresh air to spaces that have few or no occupants; in practice, you need less air (more specifically, makeup air) when you have less occupants. VAV systems control that aspect to achieve better efficiency.

 

Klarman Hall Project Description

June 27, 2013 // by Jason Henderson

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Cornell’s Klarman Hall project will be adding classrooms, office space, and a large enclosed auditorium that will seat 330 for a Gross Square Footage of 67,500 (33,250 usable space). The project is entirely funded by donations, and marks a large contribution to Cornell’s Humanities programs.

Being a Cornell project, the documentation is extensive and impeccable, so I’ll post these in phases. The project itself was authorized back in 2007, and construction bidding begins in August of this year.