Demolition is underway at Lecture Hall 10-250 on the campus of MIT. The 450 seat lecture hall in the center of the Cambridge campus will undergo a major transformation during the next six months. Plans include new seating, carpeting, lighting, and HVAC systems. In addition there will be several audio visual updates including cameras to record course material for online posting. The upgrades are expected to greatly enhance the teaching and learning environment for the faculty and students. D'Agostino-Izzo-Quirk of Somerville, Mass. is the project architect and O'Connor Constructors is providing the construction management. O'Connor's preconstruction team worked with the project architect and MIT to determine construction methods and products, pre-qualify trade contractors, define scope for the trades, and develop budgets and schedules. The lecture hall is one the university's busiest classrooms and is located in the center of building #10.
"Working in an occupied building on an active campus has its own set of challenges" says Phil Joy project manager for O'Connor Constructors. "Respect and common courtesy for the occupants in surrounding offices and classrooms is of extreme importance."
According to university personnel the lecture hall was last renovated around 1978 and taking it out of service required careful thought and coordination among faculty and staff. The multi-million dollar renovation is on track for an early August completion.
O'Connor Constructors is a full service firm with over 100 years experience as construction managers and general contractors. O'Connor and MIT have worked together on several projects including, the Plasma Fusion Science Center, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory, and several classrooms renovations.