It wouldn’t be Cornell if they didn’t have at least a few construction projects underway on their campus, and this summer has been no exception. Here are some photos of the Gannett Health Center expansion taken last weekend.
The poured concrete stairwells are probably the first thing passersby notice, given that they’re the tallest structures on-site (construction cranes notwithstanding). The western stairwell has been fully poured and topped out, while the eastern stairwell is currently underway. Look closely and you’ll see the wooden forms used on the concrete. These forms provide stability and shape while the concrete hardens, and they provide support to the reinforcing rods embedded in the concrete. They will move further up the stairwell as more concrete is poured and cured.
Between the stairwells, structural steel beams and joists are being hoisted by crane into plane, and corrugated steel decking for the floors is being laid down as the steel framing is built out. The new addition will continue to rise as the new building, the first phase of three, moves towards its July 2016 completion. Phase II focuses on renovations to the old building, and Phase III a reconstructed Ho Plaza entrance. The whole project is anticipated to be completed by August 2017. Construction firm Welliver is the general contractor for the project.
The building design is by local architecture firm Chiang O’Brien, with landscaping by Trowbridge Wolf Michaels Landscape Architects. There will be two additions to Gannett, a four-story, 55,000 square-foot building, and an additional 18,600 square foot addition that replaces the northeast side of the current building. The project also includes a new entrance and substantial renovations to the original 1956 structure (22,400 square feet of the existing 35,000), as well as landscaping, site amenities, and utilities improvements. The projected cost is $55 million.
Ithacating in Cornell Heights 
I like this one, looking forward to the finished product.