Story by: Ella Kelley, Communications Student Assistant
While the students of the University of Tennessee prepare for a long winter break, Facilities Services Construction prepares for an intense six weeks. A quieter campus is the perfect environment to complete projects that aren’t possible when class is in session, and Facilities Services never wastes an opportunity to improve and update facilities for the better.
During the normal semester, Construction is limited to the kind of work they can do and when they can do it. It’s like putting together a puzzle – they must navigate around class times and quiet hours, as well as traffic and pedestrians. Project Manager Chip Pennoyer explained that, when class is in session, he often has to schedule people as early as 4 am or on the weekends. The winter break provides the perfect opportunity for Construction to work uninterrupted and in the daylight.
Project Manager John Giorgini also explained that the construction timelines look fairly different over winter break compared to the normal semester.
“The other bonus to these long break periods, campus is basically dead, so traffic is non-existent. And it makes it so much easier to get around from building to building, job to job. It’s a huge difference,” Giorgini said.
Another advantage of utilizing semester breaks for Construction is that noise and dust levels aren’t as much of a concern.
“Without having people here for that five or six weeks stretch, it makes it super easy to get contractors in, get people scheduled in the way they’re supposed to be, so that work can be complete, and then when everybody comes back, it’s all done,” Giorgini said.
Over the winter break, Construction completed 43 projects across 27 buildings on campus. These projects included ceiling tile replacement, painting, shelving, flooring, and utilities upgrades. They did a lot of work in dining areas, which was made significantly easier without the presence of students on campus.
One of Giorgini’s winter break projects involved renovating the Air Force recruiting section of Hoskins Library. The renovations included demolition of flooring, taking down the ceiling, polishing concrete, putting in a new ceiling, and installing new lights. Of all the projects under Giorgini’s management, the improvements at Hoskins and in dining areas are among his proudest achievements due to their impact on campus as a whole.
At the end of any break, the In-House Construction team can step back and see the impact they have as happy customers return to campus and take in the improvements firsthand. Pennoyer mentioned a specific sense of pride in meeting with Art and Architecture staff after the recent recarpeting of a space in their facility. He cited their excitement as the reason he loves his work, and it is evident in the customer care and attention to detail in each project.
“That makes you feel good, you know, when you can see the end user light up. That’s what we’re here for, students, staff, to see them be happy about something. That always makes me feel good. That’s what I’m here for. If it wasn’t for you all, there wouldn’t be us,” Pennoyer said.
Additional projects over winter break included outdoor work like grinding precision cuts in pavement across campus. Construction also completed laboratory upgrades for Hesler 204 and 205 to aid in the hands-on experience and research.
While In-House Construction takes on an impressive number of projects during semester breaks, their workload is no lighter during the school year. In-House Construction is constantly active across campus, working directly with customers to ensure space upgrades are scheduled and completed in a timely manner.
Throughout the year, Construction works hard to keep campus running. Director of In-House Construction Bryan Lord explained the important role Construction plays on campus during the school year and over the breaks.
“In-House Construction has the unique privilege of touching all of campus. Our team takes great pride in every interaction, from the department level and above. Whether we’re outfitting labs for innovative research or renovating common spaces for collaboration and inspiration, we are contributing to world-changing experiences for students. I’m really proud of my team and excited for what’s to come,” Lord said.