Longwood University’s all- female dorm, Stubbs Hall, has been under renovation since summer 2013 and is set to re- open in August 2014. The same architect and engineering team, VMDO Architects, that renovated Cox and Wheeler are in charge of the Stubbs renovation.
Kim Bass, project manager, said, “It’s a 12 month construction period, and it’s a whole lot of work to do in 12 months, so if you run into any snags, then you have compounded the issue. So we’ve got the limited schedule and the limited budget to work with.” The budget for the construction of Stubbs is set at 7.4 million dollars.
There have been a few snags during construction so far. The plan was to replace the above ground plumbing in the building but never the underground plumbing. Bass said, “We never intended to have to replace the underground plumbing, so all the plumbing above ground was being replaced, but under the concrete slab was not intended to be replaced, as long as it tested correctly ... and it failed. So I actually had to come in and re-plumb all of that and then replace the concrete.”
A big problem came when the team was uncovering the structural steel that was there. The spray-on fireproofing was asbestos. After it was discovered, all the necessary precautions were taken in removing it and replacing it. Signs were placed outside the exterior doors to warn people also.
“It [asbestos] has since been removed and been replaced with a non-asbestos product
and so, as a recurring hazard, there is no issue whatsoever,” said Bass. “But that was time and money ... that put a hardship on the schedule.” Even with the schedule problems, the renovation is still on time for the re-opening in August 2014.
Since Stubbs is a special dorm on campus due to it holding the nine College Panhellenic Council sororities on campus and one National Pan-Hellenic Council sorority, the project team wanted to make sure to figure out specific needs for the space during the planning phase of the renovation. Michelle Salvato, Tri-Sigma housing manager and former Stubbs resident, attended several information meetings prior to and during the renovation. During the initial meeting, there was a representative from each sorority, a non- Greek representative, an Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life representative, a Resident and Commuter life representative and the architectural team present.
Salvato said, “During that initial meeting, they were figuring out what we wanted and needed out of the renovation and getting the general consensus about things like the kitchens in the chapter room and the storage space.”
A few complaints that were mentioned in the housing meetings dealt with the lack of air conditioning, no locks on the bathroom doors, storage and general space for events. “The sisterhood room was never large enough for any chapter to actually hold a sisterhood event in, and it was very drab. I think the larger classroom areas in Cox and Wheeler would be much easier to do events in,” said Salvato.
After the renovation, there will be a new sisterhood room along with a glass encased study room and a small conference room at the south end of Stubbs.
Other upgrades will include an air conditioning system, new plumbing throughout the building, an upgraded elevator, a state of the art fire alarm system and a new sprinkler system. Stubbs’ current occupancy is at 184, and after the renovation, six ADA (Americans with Disabilities) rooms will be added.
Another upgraded feature will be the ID scanners on all exterior doors as well as individual chapter room doors. Each chapter room will have ID card access for only its members. A public floor restroom will also be added to the middle of each floor.
“I’m excited to see the final outcome in August because Stubbs is such a historical and important building on campus, but it definitely needed some updating. I think that it is going to be a more modern and updated place once it’s finished,” said Salvato.
