New stairs needed
Both types of consultations are continuing into the fall as planning for the new exit stairwell also advances. That part of the project stems from a pragmatic requirement related to the creation of new classrooms and Hall’s increasing population.
“The building code has evolved since the construction of the Hall Building in 1966. With more people using the space, we have an obligation to increase evacuation routes in the event of an emergency,” Lavoie explains.
Because constructing a new exit stairwell is a major undertaking, Facilities Management looked for other solutions to meet the building code before moving ahead with that planning. It considered reworking the existing stairwells but found that they wouldn’t provide enough additional exit capacity.
Using Hall for more office spaces would have been a solution to lower population density but would have gone against the goal of creating more learning spaces. Finally, limiting capacity through the scheduling was also ruled out because it neither fits with the times nor the university’s goal of increasing access.
“Anyone involved in booking spaces for courses or events at the university knows it can be a challenge,” says Lavoie. “They need simplified access with fewer constraints.”
Mitigating disruptions
Work on the stairwell and terrace will not start until fall 2023 because of continuing consultations, planning and the contract attribution process. Beginning in the fall would also help lessen the effect on fall orientation events.
“We will do everything we can to reduce negative impacts but, like any construction site, there will be noise and temporary service interruptions,” Lavoie says.
Facilities Management has also been working on solutions for cases where student spaces or operations will be affected during the work, including those used by The Link, Reggie’s and the Hive Café.
“We recognize that they are among those that will be most inconvenienced and are truly sorry,” Lavoie says. “We will do everything we can to reduce negatives during moves or periods of greatest disruption.”
Facilities Management will be seeking more input on design of the new terrace. In addition to client groups and other direct stakeholders, it will be soliciting ideas from the community at large.
Those interested in taking part can email the Facilities Service Desk with “new Hall stairwell” in the subject line.