Bemidji State University, Northwest Technical College and a number of other partners are constructing a new home on the site of the university’s former Laurel Honors House residence. The home, which is being built primarily by students in NTC’s trades and construction programs with support from professional contractors, will serve as a shared living and learning community for students in BSU’s honors program.
Demolition of the Laurel House was done in early September, and reconstruction began shortly thereafter.
The new Laurel Honors House will be a two-story structure with a full basement. Each level has approximately 1,200 square feet of living space, creating a shared space for up to four BSU students. The home will include a handicap-accessible bedroom and bathroom on the first floor and three bedrooms and a bathroom on the second floor.
“It’s going to be a nice house, and I think it’s definitely going to be a good addition to the campus,” said Travis Barnes, facilities services supervisor at NTC
Barnes says students from the college will be involved in nearly all aspects of the home’s construction.
“NTC is going to complete the plumbing and electrical systems, the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, and rough and finish carpentry,” Barnes said. “The faculty at NTC do a fantastic job giving students the hands-on experience and knowledge so they can have a smooth transition into the workforce.”
The house will use Structural Insulated Panels for its walls and roof. In addition to helping the house achieve an Energy Star efficiency rating, the panels also allow the house to be constructed quickly.
“If the weather cooperates, two weeks after the panels show up we should have the structure of the house completed,” Barnes said. “It’s coming together nicely and we’re right on the anticipated schedule.”
Laurel House history
The BSU Foundation acquired the Laurel House in July of 2003 and leased it to the university, which used it as a residence for students in its honors program. The house was named for the laurel leaf, which in Roman culture symbolized victory. The name of the leaf also is the root of words such as baccalaureate and poet laureate.
As many as four students per year lived in the house until 2008. That year, following some student concerns about the house, the university examined the property and determined it needed extensive repairs and improvements in order to continue as a suitable student residence.
Rather than funding the repairs and renovations needed to meet modern building codes, which were estimated at somewhere between $60-80,000, the university decided to not place students in the house until a longer-term plan for the property was determined.
Since the house was vacated in 2008, Bemidji State has had several conversations about the future of the property which have not progressed beyond conceptual stages due to lack of funding. Over the last year, however, the university has begun mobilizing partners who are providing support for the project and allowing it to move forward.
Project partners
In 2013, Kraus-Anderson Construction made a gift to BSU as part of the university’s Imagine Tomorrow capital campaign, which was designated toward the Laurel House. That gift included cash and funds designated for project management services related to construction of the home. That gift, along with an energy rebate realized by the university in 2013, have provided the funding necessary to begin work on the project.
During the spring of 2014, the university worked with NTC, Kraus-Anderson and Bemidji-based MJ Architectural Studios to plan a construction project that would be completed during the 2014-15 academic year. NTC is focusing its trades and construction curricula on this project, and Kraus-Anderson is managing the build in parallel to its construction management work related to BSU’s Memorial Hall renovation.
Contact
• Travis Barnes, facilities services supervisor, Northwest Technical College; (218) 333-6653
• Jeff Sande, physical plant manager, Bemidji State University; (218) 755-3988
About Bemidji State University Bemidji State University, located in northern Minnesota’s lake district, occupies a wooded campus along the shore of Lake Bemidji. Enrolling more than 5,000 students, the University offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and nine graduate programs encompassing arts, sciences and select professional programs. The University is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system and has a faculty and staff of more than 550. University signature themes include environmental stewardship, civic engagement and global and multi-cultural understanding. For further information about the University, visit bemidjistate.edu. Become a fan of Bemidji State University on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.