If you work on Notre Dame’s campus, you can often hear the hum and rumble of a construction site nearby—maybe it’s a new dorm going up, an old building being renovated, or a parking lot getting a geothermal upgrade. This important and innovative work is hard to miss if you’re coming to campus every day, but the work of the Facilities Design and Operations (FDO) team doesn’t stop in South Bend. Across the world, they have staff hard at work in Notre Dame’s global locations.

The staff at FDO “serves the University by developing, maintaining, and renewing excellent campus environments for teaching and learning, research and discovery, working and living, and spiritual growth consistent with Notre Dame's heritage and responsibilities as the world's preeminent Catholic university.” In this way, FDO’s work is deeply tied to the mission of both the University as a whole and the specific location in which the project is being carried out.

Over the past few years, FDO has been collaborating with Notre Dame Global (NDG) to complete several impressive projects, including newly renovated spaces at Notre Dame Rome and Notre Dame London.

The Annex renovation: A welcoming home for a growing number of students

In the past five years, the number of undergraduate students at Notre Dame Rome has grown from 80 students to over 150 coming next spring. As the number of students increased over the years, Notre Dame Rome was quickly running out of space, especially in light of their goal of growing the number of graduate students. So, NDG turned to FDO for help. Through collaborative conversations, they made a plan to renovate the Annex, a building that had been underused for years, mostly serving as a storage space.

Repairs actually started for the Annex building back in 2016, when FDO restored and waterproofed the terrace, putting a stop to leaks that were causing damage. The work picked up again in 2021 when the COVID-19 pandemic introduced the need for additional spaces to allow for social distancing. The University invested funds to renovate the first floor of the Annex in response, creating two new classrooms and two restrooms.

The last and most intensive phase of the Annex renovation began this year to further accommodate the growing number of students. With a new PhD program introduced at Notre Dame Rome this fall, this was an especially pressing phase. Again, collaboration was central to the changes—extensive discussions with NDG initiated and sketched out the renovation plans. The project involved construction on the second floor and the basement, and it resulted in the addition of one more classroom and three offices to accommodate the new graduate program, as well as additional restrooms and a storage room.

This particular renovation brought with it a number of complications—walls needed to be treated to prevent humidity damage, the ceiling had to be thermally insulated, and some walls had to be reinforced with metal gears and concrete. On top of that, because the building had previously been fairly vacant, new electric, plumbing, and air conditioning units were installed, as well as an intruder alarm and smoke detectors. After this extensive, meticulous renovation, the Annex is fully operational and successfully serving the immediate needs of Notre Dame Rome.

The Fischer basement renovation: From dark and dismal to cozy and comfortable

Another exciting project that FDO took on recently was creating better leisure and study spaces for students at Notre Dame London.

The basement of Fischer Hall has long been a common area for students, but due to worn-out furniture and little natural light, it was rarely used. Recognizing this issue, FDO and NDG started a conversation about renovating the basement in 2021. Thanks to the funds of the Academic Survey Projects, in 2022, FDO started the renovation of the basement—answering students’ need for a dedicated space.

The project was divided into three phases that ultimately addressed the lack of natural light, the low false ceiling, the outdated furniture, and the uninviting kitchen. The first phase was concentrated on the renovation of the kitchen—making it more appealing with a central table, stools, and a new paint job. The second and more complicated phase was dedicated to the ceiling in the large sitting room. After months of projects and ideas, the ceiling was raised using a geometrical pattern around the beams. This solution opened up space for the windows and allowed the entrance of natural light. New LED lights were also installed to further improve the lighting. The last phase, completed in spring 2024, was dedicated to the floors and furniture, which were intentionally chosen through close collaboration between FDO and NDG.

Today, all areas of the basement, from the sitting room to the kitchen to the new study spaces, are highly used and appreciated by students. FDO helped NDG and Notre Dame London not only make the basement a more usable space but also fine-tuned it to better meet students’ needs and preferences.

These projects demonstrate the reach and technical skill of the FDO team, and they also illustrate their willingness and dedication to carrying out projects in tandem with the location they’re serving. FDO’s job goes beyond creating new spaces that look nice. Their work directly contributes to the success and mission of Notre Dame worldwide. For Notre Dame Rome, the renovations increased the space for students—contributing to their goal of bringing in more graduate students, specifically. In London, the renovations improved the atmosphere for students to better study, work together, and enjoy much-needed down time in a comfortable setting—ensuring students’ satisfaction in their study abroad experience.

Notre Dame is steadily building its global presence, and its spaces need to adapt to accommodate this. Without the invaluable help of the Facilities Design and Operations team, progress would be slowed and the experience of the Notre Dame global community would suffer.

So, next time you hear the rumble of construction happening, think of the exciting changes it’s leading to and the better Notre Dame it’s building.

Originally published by Jessie Carson at global.nd.edu on December 03, 2024.