$3 Mil. Project To Upgrade Stata Snow Facilities
MIT has initiated a $3 million project to upgrade the snow-melting systems on the Stata Center, MIT Building 32.
The project, scheduled to be completed by Nov. 15, will add snow retention systems on the building, as well as “melting equipment on sloped area[s] where retention is not practical,” according to John G. Engle, a Facilities project manager.
Engle explains that last winter, the Stata Center had problems with ice and snow falling off the building, and that this project should address safety concerns with that falling material.
MIT filed a lawsuit last October against Stata Center architects and builders Gehry Partners and Skanska USA over a myriad of design and construction failures that include drainage problems and cracking of the amphitheater area, persistent leaks, mold growth, as well as sliding ice and snow.
Engle said that the current project was unrelated to water leaks throughout the building, and that snow and ice were not a significant contributor to those issues. Leaking in the building has been addressed with a series of short-term measures, Engle said. Facilities will be engaging in future projects to address those issues in the long-term.
Design work for the project was performed by Simpson Gumpertz & Heger of Waltham, Mass. The construction services have been awarded to Consigli Construction of Milford, Mass.
Facilities will release updates on this and other projects at their Web site, http://web.mit.edu/facilities/construction/.