First portion of Fletcher Hall construction project completed

The first phase of a renovation project to repair water damage caused by extensive leaks to Joel L. Fletcher Hall on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus has been completed.

The building, which opened in 1977, was originally intended to have an interior atrium covered in glass. Due to budget constraints, it was built with an open-air courtyard instead.

Years of exposure to rain resulted in extensive water damage to the three-story building, which houses the School of Architecture and Design, the Department of Visual Arts, and the College of the Arts' Media Resource Center. Work to repair the damage, which began in December 2013, was finished last year.

Ziler Architects of Lafayette designed exterior modifications to Fletcher with input from faculty members, students and alumni. Those modifications include reconfigured roof profiles, that divert water away from the building.

First-floor exterior walls also were repaired, cleaned, weatherproofed and coated.

The existing, interior atrium remains open at the top. Glass walls that enclose the balconies of all three floors have been added.

The second phase of the construction project will involve interior work to an additional 20,000 square feet of what will become classroom space in areas that were once open balconies. That work is on hold due to a lack of funding.

The total cost for both phases of the project will be about $12 million. It will be paid for with a blend of state and self-generated funds, said Bill Crist, director of Facility Management at UL Lafayette.

The state has contributed $5,580,000 so far. UL Lafayette has chipped in $2,345,850.

“The project was approved in 2009, as an emergency project, but the state didn’t have enough money to do it. So, we had to contribute some of our money to move forward,” Crist explained.