The Haupert Union Building renovation and expansion will bring new life to the heart of Moravian University’s campus. Including a 53,000 square foot addition and 11,000 square feet of renovations to the existing building, the project enhances the gathering place that provides all the amenities students need to go about their day and their studies.
The building, fondly referred to as the HUB, is located at the heart of Moravian’s campus. Initially constructed in 1962, the HUB currently houses multiple aspects of student life. There are many specific considerations the project team must plan for during construction, including maintaining student access to the existing building throughout the project. Keeping this building open during construction is vital, since it hosts many student services, multiple dining areas, and meeting spaces for staff, students, and visitors.
Collaboration between the university, design team, and preconstruction team at Warfel will be vital in maintaining budget and timeline requirements for the project. The first step in the process is creating a Value Management log that includes a list of cost savings suggestions or “path back” items, possible wish-list items, and a list of potential project risk allowances.
Along with this, the preconstruction team will procure long lead items such as HVAC systems and use virtual design and construction (VDC) technology to diminish design conflicts and help the university choose building façades. Considering all of these elements on the front end increases efficiency and reduces risk to the project schedule and budget.
The HUB project has an anticipated construction start timeline of May 2024.