To better serve its growing student population, Oglethorpe University, a liberal arts-college in Atlanta, hired Juneau Construction Co. to build the $12-million, 51,000-sq-ft Turner Lynch Center. The facility, which was designed to serve as a central gathering point for students, includes a bookstore, gaming lounge, café, multiple student lounge/study areas, a 5,600-sq-ft dining hall and a 6,600-sq-ft outdoor patio. The facility's granite stone veneer exterior compliments the university's other Gothic-style buildings. The interior spaces feature plaster, stone, custom millwork and lighting elements. Installing the exterior stone veneer—which was made from granite rubble that was chipped and formed into a designed pattern—to the required quality standard proved to be a daunting task for some of the stone masons hired for the job, according to Juneau Construction, which removed more than one mason from the job. As a result, the amount of time originally scheduled for the stone veneer's installation ultimately doubled, drastically affecting the installation of the project's hardscapes and landscaping. The contractor overcame the hurdle by resequencing some work and delivered the aesthetically appealing building on time. In addition to the construction of the campus center, crews were able to restore an adjacent creek bed, enabling it to recharge local groundwater.

Award of Merit, Higher Education and Research — Turner Lynch Campus Center, Atlanta

Key Players

Contractor Juneau Construction Co., Atlanta

Owner Oglethorpe University, Atlanta

Architect Collins Cooper Carusi, Atlanta

Structural Engineer Uzun & Case, Atlanta

Civil Engineer Eberly & Associates, Atlanta

Electrical Engineer Dean Electric Co., Fairburn, Ga.