Brigham Young University-Idaho's campus has experienced many new additions and renovations over the years, but the past few semesters have been especially filled with building upgrades. Architecture and Construction Management Services on campus has worked hard to get things completed in time for use in the upcoming semesters.
There have been several obstacles that the architecture and construction team have faced. Some materials are more expensive than initially planned for and have taken longer to arrive due to supply chain shortages. The construction teams have also faced challenges with labor shortages. Overall, construction processes have been taking much longer than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet even with these challenges, many projects are nearing completion.
Manwaring Center
There have been a lot of additions and changes to the Manwaring Center over the past few months. In December, Student Activities opened their new space on the first floor of the Manwaring Center. Construction is currently underway across from the BYU-Idaho University Store, for the new location of Career and Academic Advising. Advising services, currently housed in Chapman Hall will move into the new area in the Manwaring Center when completed spring semester.
Andy Johnson, director of Architecture and Construction Management Services shared “BYU-Idaho's goal is to house all student resources in one place on campus which is the Manwaring Center, so that it’s a one-stop shop for a student’s needs.” The same goal applies to all the construction that has happened on campus. These projects will make everything easier for students.
Hart Main Auditorium
The Hart auditorium currently seats approximately 4,000 people. One of the many functions of the remodel is adding curtains that can be adjusted to make the space accommodating for any size of event. Events are scheduled to be held in the Hart auditorium again in June.
Hart Locker Rooms
The previous locker rooms in the Hart Building had limited privacy with students and employees sharing the areas. The locker rooms for both men and women are now separated between students and employees. Construction crews also consolidated space in both locker rooms for more space and privacy. The men's student and employee locker rooms are expected to open in April and the women's student and employee locker rooms are expected to open mid-May.
Auxiliary Services Building (ASB)
The automotive engineering, civil engineering, and construction management labs have experienced significant enrollment growth over the years. Because of space constraints for the growing departments, the Auxiliary Services Building has been repurposed as the Engineering Technology Center (ETC), converting the former surplus storage and mail rooms into classrooms and automotive workspaces. Classes will start in the ETC this spring semester.
The overall goal of these projects is to give students and employees better options for campus services and educational resources. The BYU-Idaho experience will be improved for everyone by bringing more resources into singular locations and improving existing building spaces.