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The project is complete

October 12, 2011 by Eric

Thank you Graduate Brothers — the new donor wall has been installed in the living room.

Nearly eight months to the day that the first wall came down, the chapter house project is done. Lambda Nu is the one of the safest and most modern fraternity houses at the University of Nebraska.  A few last-minute projects included replacing the patio area directly in front of the 1931 building and adding a railing to the 1964 addition to bring the building into current safety codes.  A new front door was installed last week and landscaping will go in on Monday.

The house corporation is still accepting donations (the final construction bill is coming in at $1.6 million).  Visit the How to Donate section for information on donating.

The completed living room — looking into the study room. The furnishing include new leather couches and chairs, side tables and art work (historical photos from Lambda Nu’s archives).  The House Corporation was able to save the coffee table, piano, grandfather clock and library table.

Study room at the back of the living room.  The conference table was acquired a few years ago and is heavily used resource in the chapter house.  The chapter awards line the walls and the 1936 pledge class photo hangs over the fire-place.

The dining room features new chandeliers and is painted in a darker tan with a green hue.  Lambda Nu’s former homes are featured on the walls. The original dining room tables were refinished for years of future service.

The room formerly known as B2 has been made into the Andersen Study Center and features a large study tabel and desks for students to complete homework.  The old door that use to exit to the parking lot was blocked and filled in.

A ‘small’ television was added in the basement for brothers to gather and watch the big game on the big screen.

The back of the old diamond room now features of pool table, complete with purple felt.  Several pool tournaments have already been held and this area is one of the most popular gathering places in the chapter house.

The hallways now feature composites. This hallway is 2nd old.

A new railing has been added to the balcony to bring it to current building codes.  In addition, the floor was pitched and sealed to prevent leaking in the foyer below.

Posted in basement, building codes, dining room, furniture, livingroom |

FIJI is ready for business

August 18, 2011 by Eric

The Lambda Nu Chapter opened its doors today and around 45 guys moved in to a safe (fire sprinklers, new fire alarm, etc) and modern (blazing fast wireless internet, air condition) chapter home.  Undergraduates, along with their parents,were very thankful for generosity of the graduate brothers.

I didn’t get very many pictures today – as I was helping check student in — sorry – we’ll have more photos coming in the next few weeks after we get everything done.

Enjoy!

Posted in Uncategorized |

They day before the fraternity property returns

August 15, 2011 by Eric

65 new mattresses arrived today

Tomorrow, Tuesday, August 16 is a big day – all the fraternity property will be moved back from storage. Due to the extent of the renovation, the chapter had to store its property off-site.  We kept the large round coffee table, grandfather clock, piano, trophy case, library table, conference table, milk machine, Hobart mixer, and freezer – along with all the composites, chapter records, supplies, etc.

Today, a few deliveries were made – including the washers and dryers for second and third floor, 65 mattresses and rest of the dorm furniture (bunk beds, dresser, wardrobes and desk). Tomorrow the new living room furniture and copy/scan/print machine will arrive.

The house corporation also met with the locksmith today — the chapter will be installing a master key system for all interior doors and a card system at all entry points. This should help manage the who has access to the chapter house.

Thank you to all the graduate brothers who have donated to the project.  Our young PhiGams are going to have a safe, modern chapter house to call home during their college years.  If you haven’t donated yet – we can still need your help!  Visit the How to Donate tab for more information.

The living room is ready for furniture — minus the fire door on the right (which will be installed upstairs tomorrow).

The dining room floor was sealed and waxed today. Chandeliers were hung late last week.

The first piece of furniture was brought back to the chapter house last weekend — the grandfather clock. It has been in foster care for the past few years as the exact date of construction was not known.  It is working properly and keeps excellent time.  The small white box to the left is the carbon monoxide detectors that are now required to be approved university housing.

Posted in dining room, furniture, kitchen, lighting |

The final countdown

August 11, 2011 by Eric

The finishing touches are being put on the FIJI construction project. This week, rest of the carpet was installed on 2nd and 3rd floors, light fixtures are being hung in the building and various hardware is being installed (such as door handles, pulls, railing, etc).  This weekend the cleaning crews move in to get the house ready for move in on August 18. The AC was fired up for the first time – and it appears to be working as expected.

Next week the construction crew will finish up and the chapter property, currently in storage, will be returned. If any graduate brothers in the Lincoln or Omaha area would like to come down on Tuesday, August 16 to help move our property back – please email the house corporation.
3rd floor hallway — between the 1964 and 1931 building. The doors to left are the location of the new laundry facility.  If you look all the way down the hall — you can see into room 310 (use to be 312).

New carpet on the ‘old’ stairs — from first floor.  The railing is scheduled this week.

Living room – standing on the north wall – looking south to the fire place.

Living room — standing on the south wall — looking north (towards the front of the house)

Dining room floor has been installed and tables returned (they were refinished)

Detail of the new door hardware.  The chapter house will have a master-key system — so the house corporation will have a single key that will open every door.

The new fire alarm panel — this is the extent of the exposed equipment.

Posted in 3rd new, 3rd old, dining room, livingroom |

Doors, carpet, trim – oh my! 14 days left!

August 4, 2011 by Eric

Carpet, doors, and trim – the chapter house is starting to look like a home.  The next two weeks are going to be a flurry of activity to finish by August 17.  This week carpet is being installed in the hallways of the 1931 building and in the rooms of the 1964 addition.   The living room and housemother’s floors are being sanded and finished.

New solid core doors are being installed throughout the house.   A master-key system will be installed that will allow the house corporation to have a single key that will open all doors.  Each student’s key will unlock their study and assigned sleeping room door.

Next week’s highlights include firing up the air conditioner for the first time, installing the wireless internet system and rest of the finishes. FIJI is hosting all the UNL fraternity and sorority house corporations next week during the greek house tour.

If you haven’t done so already — mark your calendar and plan to attend Pig Dinner on Friday, October 7, 2011.  The chapter house dedication ceremony will take place on Friday at 4.30 p.m. with the 106th Norris Pig Dinner starting at 7. This year’s keynote address will be by the Honorable J. Robert Kerrey (Nebraska 1965), Former United States Senator and Governor of Nebraska.

Painting starts in the kitchen.  The kitchen will get a new stove and refrigerator.

The old ice room will house a new residential refrigerator, microwave and new ice machine.  Late plates and extra food will be stored in this room for guys to have access to in the evening.  The kitchen will remained locked when the cook is not present.

The 1964 stairwell has been painted and new railing installed.  Code requires new railings in both the 1964 and 1931 stairwells.

New hallway carpet in the 3rd floor of the 1931 building.

New doors have been installed.

The 3rd floor bathroom in the 1964 addition is ready for its final finishes.

New main electrical service panel — this feeds each of the subpanels on each floor.

All of the heating and cooling plumbing was redone.  The boiler room ceiling is almost fully covered in insulted pipes.

Posted in 3rd new, 3rd old, basement, building codes, carpet, insulation, kitchen, mechanical systems, Uncategorized |

New back lot and trim work starts

July 28, 2011 by Eric

Updated 1st floor fire place and woodwork

New cement has been poured for the back lot and the DMZ. The original back lot was in disrepair, and the large trench that had to be dug to accommodate the new electrical service put the final nail in its coffin. While they were pouring the back lot, they also graded the DMZ and poured cement as well. This should solve the water issues for years to come.

Other finish works continues – including installing crown molding and baseboard in the living room, bathroom sinks, toilet dividers and tile work in the 1964 addition bathrooms. Painting and carpeting continues. The original 1931 wood floors are scheduled to be refurnished next week in the living room and tile installed in the kitchen and dining room.

Living room furniture has been ordered, 65 extra-long twin mattresses should arrive next week along with 90 window blinds. The next few weeks are going to be highly organized chaos, but the project is on schedule for an on time opening.

Living room trim work has been installed.

Foyer, looking from the dining room into the living room.

Dining room walls have been painted – ceiling is done.  Floors will be installed in the next two weeks.

2nd floor bathroom of the 1931 building — the sinks are located where the showers use to be.

2nd floor bathroom of the 1931 building — individual toilet stalls have been installed for privacy, shower curtain rods will added in the next week.

The study room for the new room 208 (old location of 208 and 209).  There are two bedrooms off this study room that will house two students each.

The 2nd floor hallway — going from the 1931 building to the 1964 addition.  A new door jamb has been installed for the balcony door.

New back lot!  The old surface needed to be replaced, but when the new power lines were buried, that sealed the deal.

The area between the ATO and FIJI house (known as the DMZ) has been paved.  This will help with basement water issues by getting water away from the building.

Phi Gamma Delta’s very own power transformer. The power lines are buried from the transformer to the house.

Posted in 2nd new, 2nd old, dining room, livingroom, paint | 3 Comments »

Finish work begins on 1964 addition

July 21, 2011 by Eric

With less than a month before the project is scheduled to be complete, the finish crews have moved to the 1964 addition. Drywall has been hung, ceilings are up and bathrooms are ready for tile.  It will be a very busy month to meet the August 15 deadline.

Final finishes are in progress in the 1931 building – light fixtures, switches, plugs and plumbing fixtures are being installed. The house will have a new power service this week – which will allow us to fire-up the air conditioner for the first time to cool the property down.

In addition, the first shipment of dorm room furniture has arrived. Each sleeping room will have solid oak bunk beds, a dresser and wardrobe.  The study rooms will have a desk.  Living room furniture was ordered this week and will arrive August 16.

Stall dividers being installed in the 2nd floor bathroom of the 1931 building.

Drywall is up in the 1964 addition — this is the study area for 308 (formerly rooms 308 and 309).

2nd floor bathroom in the 1964 addition — tile work will begin next week.

Tile work in the housemother’s bathroom — new floor and fixtures are being installed.

Posted in 2nd new, 2nd old, furniture, paint, tile |

We’re open…well…soon to be: the final month

July 14, 2011 by Eric

The fire sprinkler main is open

Lots of progress this week – with dorm room furniture scheduled to be delivered on Friday, July 15 for the 1931 side.  The crews have been busy installing the fire sprinkler system (the item that started this entire project), HVAC equipment, carpet and paint.  Based on all known information at this point, the project is scheduled to be ready for the undergraduates to move in on August 15.

Inspections were approved to start finish work on the 1964 addition.  Drywall has been hung in the dining room, foyer, 2nd floor ceiling and 3rd floor.  Work continues on the bathroom.

The entire building will now enjoy central air.  The cooling equipment sits in the corner of the parking lot – where the ‘new’ and ‘old’ houses meet.  While this location is not ideal, it is the best solution that could be developed given the multiple factors that needed to be considered (including distance from the mechanical room and costs).  We were able to continue to use the boiler that was installed in 1997 for heat.

An individual ‘make-up’ air unit was installed for the kitchen.  This will provide both additional heat and air conditioning for this specific area of the chapter house.  The guys are going to have some cool cooks.   In addition, a new stove and refrigerator are on order for the kitchen.

The new AC has been installed on its pad.  While not ideal, this was the best of many not-so-good options.

Make-up air unit for the kitchen.  This will provide additional heating and cooling.

The living room has been primed with tinted primer.

The dining room has had drywall hung.

The housemother’s bedroom. Due to changes to the women’s restroom (will now be an ADA complain unisex restroom), the housemother’s bedroom gained much-needed, and I’m sure apprecaited, square footage.

Room 200 (formerly 200 and 201) carpet has been installed.  The camera continues not to do the actual colors justice.

Room 302 (formerly 303).

The 1964 addition has a little ways to go — this is taken in the study room of the new 309 (formerly 310 and 311), standing on the south wall — looking to the north.

The poor back lot took a beating and is scheduled to be paved next week.  The cement pad at the top of the photo is the location of the new transformer that will be installed next week as well.

Posted in 2nd old, 3rd new, carpet, dining room, drywall, fire sprinklers, livingroom, mechanical systems | 1 Comment »

Old side upstairs painted, carpet to be installed

July 7, 2011 by Eric

Refinished dining room tables

The painters have finished 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors of the 1931 building. The camera is not doing the colors justice – the hallways and individual sleeping rooms are light beige with the study rooms a light brown.  Carpet should be installed next week.

Mechanical and electrical rough-ins continue in the 1964 addition.  Fire sprinklers are being installed in the entire building.

Lincoln Electric System buried the power line last week.  While it is nice to have this line concealed, the downside is the back lot took a beating.  Luckily, as they dug a trench from the pole to the back of the 1931 building, no surprises were found (such as a buried fuel tank).

A new stove and refrigerator has been ordered to replace the 1964 appliances.  The fraternity’s freezer is relatively new and will be reused.

The board was able to contract with Cornhusker State Industries to custom build dorm room furniture (will be installed in the completed rooms next week).  CSI also refinished the dining room tables and a few other wood pieces from the chapter house.  The dining room tables look brand new and are ready for another 50 years of FIJIs celebrating lunch and dinner together.

Room 200 — the study room and sleeping room has been painted.

Room 401 (old 4 south) — the hallway that leads to the main study room. The sleeping rooms  are off to the right. 

The bathroom on the 1931 building — 3rd floor — ready for final finishes.

Mechanical and electrical rough-ins. Photo is taken on 2nd floor — looking west into room 210 (old 212 and cleaning closet).

3rd floor bathroom, 1964 addition — plumbing rough-ins are installed.  Drywall should start soon.

Fire sprinkler rough-ins on the 3rd floor, 1964 addition.

The 1964 appliances have been removed and new ones are on order.  The kitchen layout will remain relatively the same.

The poor back lot has seen better days — LES dug a trench from the pole in the middle of the photo to the back of the 1931 building to install a new power main.

Posted in 2nd new, 2nd old, 3rd new, 4th floor, carpet, dining room, fire sprinklers, kitchen, paint, plumbing, tile |

Progress made on 3rd new – six weeks from finish

June 30, 2011 by Eric

Framing on 3rd new

Wood studs and beams are being framed in on the 3rd floor of the 1964 addition. The original plan was to install cinder blocks, but the project engineer put a kibosh to that when the original manufacture of the floor joist system was not able to find records to confirm it the floor was designed to carry that kind of load. The modified plan calls for wood studs to be used, along with a handful of wood beams, to carry the load of the roof structure.

The heating and air conditioning work is being finished on the 1931 building.  For the first time, the entire building will be able to experience the joy of central air. Each room is equipped with its own fan coil unit — which will provide cool air in the summer and fall and heat during the winter.

The 1st floor and basement ceilings have been finished and painting will begin next week.  All of the rough-ins on the 1964 addition should be complete next week and ready for inspection.

Ceilings and drywall work is complete in the living room.

Fancoil units have been installed in the 1931 building.  This is taken in room 401 (old 4-South) — southwest corner.

Drywall will start next week in the dining room.

Posted in 3rd new, 4th floor, dining room, drywall, livingroom | 1 Comment »

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