A Renovation for the U. of Michigan and a New Building for Central Michigan U.

September 23, 2009, 12:00 pm

The U. of Michigan’s Michigan Memorial Phoenix Laboratory (Curt Clayton)

The University of Michigan has completed the first phase of renovations of its 1955 Michigan Memorial Phoenix Laboratory, built to house researchers working with the adjoining Ford Nuclear Reactor, which was decommissioned in 2003. The renovations, by Lord, Aeck & Sargent, were intended to update the three-story Modernist building for researchers studying a broad array of energy technologies.

The $9.5-million project involved gutting the Ann Arbor building’s 9,750-square-foot third floor and creating two large, flexible laboratories that can be reconfigured as needs change. Because the building’s ceilings are comparatively low, accommodating the necessary ventilation and safety systems was a particular challenge. The floor currently houses the Hydrogen Energy Technology Lab, along with offices and conference facilities.

The project also included upgrading the entire building’s electrical, mechanical, and fire-safety systems, replacing the windows, restoring the exterior masonry, and adding energy-saving features. The next phase of the renovation will create ground-level facilities for energy-storage researchers, as well as a museum and offices for the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute.

Meanwhile, Central Michigan University has opened a 137,000-square-foot, $50-million Education and Human Services Building, designed by SHW Group. The building includes classrooms, a 200-seat auditorium, a Child Development and Learning Laboratory, a science-methods lab, and a reading clinic. Technology installed throughout will accommodate distance education as well as face-to-face classes, and let instructors link up their classrooms to locations around the world.