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Archive for the ‘livingroom’ Category

The project is complete

Posted in basement, building codes, dining room, furniture, livingroom on October 12, 2011|

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.

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The final countdown

Posted in 3rd new, 3rd old, dining room, livingroom on August 11, 2011|

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.

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New back lot and trim work starts

Posted in 2nd new, 2nd old, dining room, livingroom, paint on July 28, 2011| 3 Comments »

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.

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

Posted in 2nd old, 3rd new, carpet, dining room, drywall, fire sprinklers, livingroom, mechanical systems on July 14, 2011| 1 Comment »

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.

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Progress made on 3rd new – six weeks from finish

Posted in 3rd new, 4th floor, dining room, drywall, livingroom on June 30, 2011| 1 Comment »

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.

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Carpeting starts

Posted in 2nd old, carpet, dining room, drywall, fire sprinklers, insulation, livingroom, mechanical systems on June 23, 2011| 1 Comment »

Carpet installed in room 300.A

The 1931 building final finishes continue – carpeting is being installed in sleeping rooms, the living room and basement drywall should be finished this week and the painter is scheduled to return next.  The plan is to refinish the 1st floor original hardwood floors after the painter is done.

As noted last week, the 3rd floor and roof of the 1964 addition did not meet current building codes.  A plan has been developed and approved to  install additional support beams – framing should begin next week.

Ceilings will be installed next week in the dining room and 2nd floor of the 1964 addition next week.

The project is on target for an August 15 finish date.

2nd ‘old’ bathroom — standing in the southwest corner (where the showers use to be) looking to the northeast.  Each bathroom will have two private shower stalls.

Drywall work continues in the living room and should finish this week.  Insulation was installed in the exterior walls.  The cove above the 2nd set of windows conceal the heating and air conditioning systems for rooms 200 and 201.

Workers install the ceiling system in the dining room.  The drywall can not be screwed directly to beams as that alters the structural integrity — so instead they screw the drywall to these channels — which also helps reduce sound transmitting from floor to floor.

The new fire sprinkler shut-off valve.

Doors will be installed to the 1964 addition fire escape. In addition, any window within 10 feet of the fire escape must be a fire-rated window. These non-operable windows have a wire mesh imbedded in the glass.  In the event of a fire, this would delay the window from breaking under — thus allowing the residents to safely exit the building using the fire escape.

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Finish work starts on the “old” side

Posted in 2nd new, 2nd old, 4th floor, history, kitchen, livingroom, mechanical systems, tile, windows on June 2, 2011|

Tile floor has been installed in the 3rd old bathroom

Finish work started on the “old” side of the build – old is in quotes, because after this project is compete both the old, 1931 building, and the “new,” 1964 addition, will be virtually the same.

Tile work started in the 2nd and 3rd old bathrooms, ceilings are done and painters should move in next week to start painting walls on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors of the old side of the chapter house.  Windows are also scheduled to be installed next week in the 1964 side of the building and the fire escape windows of the 1931 building.

The City of Lincoln will install a new water line to the building tomorrow for the fire sprinkler system.  The air conditioner compressor unit has arrived.  The 1964 chiller equipment was removed as part of this project. The old chiller has not worked for at least 20 years. The chiller room, located under the kitchen, will be used for storage.

Special thanks to Walter Gerlach (Nebraska 1958) for helping solve the mystery of the brass “More Phi Gam, Less Self” plaque that was found during demolition last February.  Brother Gerlach made two of these plaques (one for each door of the second and third floor bathroom) in the foundry located in the basement of Richards Hall.  One of the plaques has been mounted to an exterior column for the Undergraduate Brothers to see as they leave the house and to remind them of this fraternity creed. Thank you again Brother Gerlach for helping solve this mystery.

Windows will be installed next week on the 1964 addition.

Living room ceiling has been installed and will be finished next week.

Patch work will need to be done in the kitchen. Thankfully, the entire ceiling did not need to come down, just select areas to gain access to the heating system. The kitchen will also receive new appliances. If anyone wants to buy the old fridge (heck, if you want to get it out of there) drop the house corporation an email. It works fine, however, the bottom is starting to rust away.

Study area of room 200. The ceiling is done.

Room 210’s (formerly room 212) study area.  This room has two sleeping rooms of this shared area.

New windows in room 400 (formerly known as 4-North).

The study area of room 401 (formerly 4-South).  This is looking at the south wall of the chapter house.

Walls are going up in the new basement study room (formerly B1). The old stairs will blocked off.

All kinds of new pipes and pumps in the boiler room.

And, the new air condition compressor unit. This will be installed in the next few weeks.

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Windows are wonderful!

Posted in 2nd old, 3rd old, 4th floor, fire sprinklers, livingroom, mechanical systems, windows on March 24, 2011| 4 Comments »

New windows on the old side of the house.

Dramatic changes this week – new windows were installed on the north, east and west side of the 1931 building.  The new windows will significantly improve the energy efficiency of the chapter house.  The existing windows were installed decades ago and had outlived their useful life.  Many of old window vinyl tracks had degraded to the point where it was a battle to keep the windows closed.  New windows are being installed in the entire building – from the 4th floor to the basement.  

The windows on the south side have not been installed. Fire code requires that any window within 10 feet of a fire escape be fire-rated.  These windows cost nearly four times of what the regular windows cost.  And, because it is an old building, everything is a custom size.

In addition to fire-rated windows, openings were cut into the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floor to accommodate exit doors. Current fire code requires doors be used instead of the existing windows.

Fire sprinkler rough-ins have been installed.

Sleeping room furniture will be ordered this week.  The order includes 28 extra long twin bunk beds, 6 single beds, 3 lofted singled beds, 30 wardrobes, 30 dressers, 65 mattresses and 25 desks.  The items are built locally and will be delivered and installed in August.

Next week includes inspections of rough in electrical, mechanical and plumbing; insulating; and, starting drywall.

New windows on the east side of the building — next door to ATO.

West side of the house — new windows (and the old windows in the red dumpster).

South side of the building (like the bathroom?) — all of these windows will have to be fire-rated. On the left side of the photo — opening have been cut into the walls to accommodate new exit doors.

New windows in B2.  This will be one of the few three men rooms.

FIJI graffiti – it has been interesting what has been ‘found’ under the walls – including a “More PhiGam, Less Self” bronze plaque. This is in the area formerly known as B1.

2nd floor — will be room 200, looking south into the future room 201. 

New layout for the 2nd old bathroom — the metal walls will house individual shower stalls. The stools will be to the left.  This is taken standing on the south wall (where the sinks will be), looking north (the stairwell is behind the wall).

Standing in the educational area of the future room 300, looking north.

Laundry will move from the basement to 2nd and 3rd floors.  This is where the old sauna was located and will house a washer and dryer.

 The item that started this entire process — rough ins for the fire sprinkler (red pipe).  The Board of Regents has required all student housing (including greek housing) be sprinkled by 2017 — Phi Gamma Delta will be well ahead of the game on this issue.

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Rough-ins starting

Posted in 2nd old, 3rd old, 4th floor, basement, livingroom, mechanical systems on March 15, 2011|

Mechanical rough-ins have started

Electrical and mechanical rough-ins started this week. The plan is to convert the existing boiler (installed in 1997) to hot water (currently hot water and steam) and install new air conditioning equipment. Each room will have their own heating and air conditioning units.

The exterior walls have been furred out to accommodate insulation. This will help with the overall efficiency of the building. There is currently no exterior insulation, other than air space. In addition, this will allow new wiring to be installed.

Asbestos removal continues in the basement.

New floor joists were installed in the bathrooms and the floor is down. Several of the existing floor joists had significant notches (up to ¾ the width of the joist) cut into them to accommodate different plumbing and remodels over the past 80 years. This was not safe to install the new bathroom without taking care of this structural issue.

Finally, a new subfloor was installed on the 4th floor. Several of the old floor boards were very thin or cracked. In addition, this separation was required for fire codes.

Next week, the windows for the old side should start to arrive and be installed. They are being replaced with a double pane insulated window.

The asbestos removal continues – this is the tent set up outside of B2.

Exterior walls are being furred out to accommodate insulation and provide a tight seal between levels.

2nd floor — north side — where the hallway continues to the new side. This will be the future site of a laundry room.

Taken in the new Room 200 — from the educational space looking into the two new sleeping rooms. 

The new 3rd Old bathroom — the floors have been replaced.  Plumbing should be installed in the next few weeks.

A new subfloor was installed on 4th floor. This is taken on the south wall — right next to the fire escape.

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Walls are up and the floor is gone

Posted in 2nd old, 3rd old, 4th floor, Demolition, livingroom, mechanical systems on March 8, 2011|

From the housemother's living room -- looking up into 2nd and 3rd old bathroom -- up to the roof.

If you walk into the chapter house today, the most striking thing you will find would be standing in the housemother’s living room and looking up and you can see the roof. The floors in 2nd and 3rd old bathrooms have been removed to accommodate a new bathroom layout – which will include private shower stalls and finally fix the flooding issue in the housemother’s room and B1.

At least twice a year, the housemother’s room would ‘flood,’ or more accurately ‘rain’ from the ceiling, which then would drain into B1 – often times damaging contents in both rooms. For the past several years, the flooding was due to pipes going bad inside the walls – both plumbing and heating systems. These are costly repairs, as the plumber would have to make a hole to fix the issue – often times several holes to find the issue – then the wall or ceiling would have to be repaired. Thankfully, ‘moms’ Engelhard and the residents in B1 have been good sports over the years.

The radiators have been removed and recycled – along with the old AC equipment in the basement under the kitchen. This is making room for a new heating and air conditioning system to be installed over the next several months.

The walls are framed on 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors.

Mechanical, electrical and fire sprinkler rough-ins are scheduled to begin this week.

From the 3rd old bathroom — looking into the housemother’s living room.

3rd floor — from Room 300 — looking to the south.

2nd floor — standing by the south wall (Room 203) looking to the north (200).

Basement ceiling is down.

The few items left from the old chiller equipment.

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