The Humanities building will get a new roof this summer.
Removing and replacing the roof will take roughly,from the last week in May until on or before Aug. 25.

The project will cost more than $1.1 million for removal and replacement, according to a proposal made to the Board of Trustees last December.

The new roof will feature a reflective, white surface, known as thermoplastic polyolefin, and will reflect light, making the building cooler in the summer. Beneath the surface, the roof will include the same insulation, which will retain heat within the building during the colder months.

Jim Taylor, the facilities planning and construction director, told Campus Current the classes in the Humanities building over the summer will be relocated to other general purpose classrooms around campus, but hospitality labs, such as the HCAT labs, will remain in use while construction occurs.

Still, the building will remain in use during construction, Taylor said. “There shouldn’t be any major disruptions, but if [students] in a class are taking a test, we know they want quiet,” he said.

The original roof was replaced in 1993, and the replacement came with a 20-year warranty. In 2013, the year the warranty was up, the roof was inspected and recommended for an upgrade by a roofing consultant.

Preparation for construction includes brick work, Taylor said, which will begin over spring break the week of March 13, but this will not affect students this semester. The removal of the roof will begin shortly after commencement on May 25.

The next building that will need a roof upgrade will be the Dragun building. According to Taylor, that project could take place in Summer 2018.