Colorado State University Lory Student Center

Remaining partially open during construction, the work occurred with a dedicated focus on the safety of everyone on the Colorado State University (CSU) campus, using multiple forms of communication and aligning construction with the school’s schedule.

The iconic Lory Student Center on the CSU campus underwent a complete revitalization. This $70 million project consisted of a 160,000-square-foot renovation with an addition of 40,000-square-feet. This facility houses a variety of activities, allowing for a more modern and organized gathering place for students and staff. Services include a full ballroom, student dining venues, support service offices, art gallery, and the Ramskeller microbrewery. The Student Center’s staff and a dozen Student Organizations were moved during construction by temporarily converting the MAC Gym to modular offices.

The majority of the exterior skin/support was removed and replaced with a more efficient thermal system to meet today’s standards. The project included a very complicated utility package, civil/site work, landscaping, high-end exterior concrete hardscapes including site walls with specialty finishes.

Additionally, fire codes, building codes, and earthquake zones changed from the time the original building was built, resulting in the need to structurally strengthen the existing building.

Strengthening operation included:

• 4,200-cubic-yards of concrete
• 23 shear walls within the existing building’s footprint
• 42,000-square-feet of carbon reinforcing (the third-largest carbon fiber reinforcing operation in the US
• Complex, phased construction schedule

This project received LEED Silver Certification in 2014