The 2nd-floor renovation of Parks Hall on The Ohio State University campus, in conjunction with several other small projects within the building, realigns program space with an evolving academic need and delivers a fresh look to several areas on the floor. The program mix of space types intermixes classroom, office, executive conference room, library, and user support spaces intermixed amongst the laboratory environment of the 2nd floor. The renovation ensures the investigators housed on the floor are supported in their research endeavors. The design efforts evolve the rooms from institutional standards (think exposed CMU) to that of modern office space with the introduction of additional daylight, color, infrastructure, and technology improvements.
Our team’s experience with complex, phased projects in occupied buildings helped ensure the success of this renovation. Parks was constructed in 1965, given the age of the building, the age-related prevalence for higher toilet counts in Men’s toilet rooms, and the related aged infrastructure, the project is taking great strides to improve the occupied areas, importantly the project introduces handicap and a gender-neutral/family toilet rooms to the building. Through a code appeals process, we maximized the opportunity to increase the toilet count for underserved populations within the building while maintaining the use of at least one toilet room throughout construction.
