University of Texas at Austin

Head of the classKate Sawyer takes a tour of the many renovation and construction projects underway at University of Texas at Austin. When University of Texas (UT) at Austin was founded in 1883 as a small campus on 40 acres, it had only one building, eight teachers, two departments, and 221 students. Today, it represents the most robust facet of the University of Texas System, which includes nine academic universities and six health sciences centers.  UT Austin has become a major research university serving a breadth of undergraduate and graduate courses. It boasts more than 50,000 students, 2,700 faculty, and 17,000 staff. The UT Austin campus, set in the scenic central Texas hill country, consists of the original 40-acre campus just north of the state Capitol and additional land acquired by gift and purchase, totaling approximately 360 acres. But its presence extends far beyond the main campus. Its local facilities also include the J. J. Pickle Research Campus, the Brackenridge Tract, and the Montopolis Research Center. In addition, it owns the Marine Science Institute at Port Aransas, the McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, the Winedale Historical Center near Round Top, the Sam Rayburn Library in Bonham, the John Nance Garner Home in Uvalde, the Bee Cave Research Center west of Austin, and J. Frank DobieÔÇÖs ranch, Paisano.The UT Office of Facilities and Construction oversees all construction projects in excess of $5 million throughout the University of Texas System. At UT Austin, there are currently more than 40 construction and renovation projects planned or underway, totaling nearly $1 billion. With buildings completed and opened each year, and more on the way, UT Austin is literally redesigning the cityÔÇÖs skyline.But one of its greatest strengths also represents one of its greatest obstacles. UT Austin is facing a significant lack of expandable space. It is an urban campus bordered not only by a major highway but also several state government buildings. With planning, foresight, and creative thinking, the team is successfully working around the challenges.The Campus Master Plan aims to enhance the sense of community through creating better, more accommodating facilities to attract and retain students, build on the architectural and visual aesthetic of the original campus buildings, improve service and support through enhanced campus infrastructure, and protect the historic importance of the campus.The executive director of program management for the UT Office of Facilities and Construction is David Dixon, who joined the team in 2005. Holding a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from UT Austin, Dixon went on to manage major construction projects in the oil industry throughout the US, Australia, Africa, and China.According to Dixon, nearly all construction at UT Austin going forward will follow the environmentally sustainable construction standards created by the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) initiative of the US Green Building Council. One such project is already nearing completionÔÇöthe AT&T Executive Education Center, which is aiming for LEED Silver status. The 337,000-square-foot center is being built in conjunction with the Red McCombs School of Business and will include 300 Internet-ready, flat-screen TV rooms. Austin Commercial is the construction manager, and the architectural team is comprised of HKS and Lake Flato.One of UT AustinÔÇÖs goals is to increase the number of students housed on campus from 7,000 to 9,000. To achieve this, UT Austin recently opened the $50 million Almetris Duren dormitory with 588 beds. Hensel Phelps was the construction manager, and Barnes Gromatzky Kosarek was the architect. In addition, the office has plans to build several new dorms to increase housing capacity on campus.Nearing completion is the full-scale renovation of the LBJ Library Plaza, which houses the official papers of the 36th President of the United States. Not only will the Plaza be restored and modified, but it is actually being elevated to reduce the risk of frequent water leaks. The other major project on the docket is the $176 million expansion of the Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium, which is home to UT Longhorns football program. This is a two-step project that was designed by Heery International, with Hensel Phelps as the construction manager. To date, most of the major work has been completed, including the Belmont Hall and Centennial Room renovations, a new press box, and a new scoreboard called the ÔÇ£Godzillatron,ÔÇØ supplied by Daktronics.