December 2010

Harris Hall awaits the return of students and the start of classes on January 3, 2011. My step daughter, Julia Smith (2011), a history-econ major, will be among those enjoying the newly renovated building, so it was particularly sweet to have been assigned to this project.  There are still several hundred loose ends to trim and finalize, but over all, the project is complete and the building occupied.  The project, being a mix of new construction, historic restoration, rehab, and designed for LEED certification, was demanding, interesting, compelling and downright thrilling.  I thoroughly enjoyed working with the faculty and administrative staff in both the Department of History and the Nicholas J. Chabraja Center for History Studies.  It was a particular pleasure working with Weese Langley Weese, and especially Dan Weese, whose passionate and relentless attention to the project permeates the building.  I wholly appreciate the commitment and efforts of Turner’s construction team (Mike Long, Don McDougal, Ron McAllister and Anthony Douglas) and the many trade contractors that worked on the project.  Of course, the project success was underpinned by a host of consultants, contractors, vendors, Facilities Management staff, and other University Departments, such as Academic Technologies, NUIT, Block Museum, NU Police.  Thank you to everyone for your help.  Harris Hall should be good for yet another century.   -John Brzezinski

View from the southeast.

Architect Dan Weese rests, with Mr. Norman Waits Harris looking over his shoulder.  What would Mr. Harris think of all this?  I should think he would be pleased.