Fix It Or Forget It?

parking structure restoration

PHOTO COURTESY OF WALKER PARKING CONSULTANTS

Before and After

When the lifecycle curve of a parking structure starts taking a dramatic turn, an owner is faced with a decision — to fix the growing problems or give up and start anew. Unless the cost for mitigating the problems and continual maintenance outweighs constructing a complete new structure, the best and most ecological option is to give the existing structure a longer lifespan by repairing and continuing to use it. In this approach, restoration by its nature can be considered as sustainable actions.

Walker Restoration Consultants recently did some first aid on the Duke University Parking Garage II in Durham, NC. The Duke garage contains 2,752 spaces and is an eight-level cast-in-place concrete parking structure. It serves both visitors and employees of the Duke University Medical Center. The first five levels were constructed in 1977, and the additional three levels were added in a vertical expansion in 1988.

After a thorough evaluation, several repairs were done on the structure, including: Replacing the entire electrical system, including addition of new generator for emergency power; upgrading all lighting with new fixtures and daylight harvesting (seen to the right); replacing all parking equipment specific to user groups to decrease wait times; replacing and adding pedestrian and vehicular wayfinding signage; painting overhead surfaces and pedestrian cores to increase light effectiveness and enhance pedestrian wayfinding; and modifying function to enable nesting capabilities, increase vehicular flow and provide additional spaces.

Following the work, the Duke project won First Place in the Parking Structure Renovated/Rehabilitated Category from the Carolinas Parking Association.

Properly designed repairs that are implemented in a timely manner will minimize future maintenance expenses and material replacement. In addition to sustainable and durable repairs, many parking structure restoration projects may include energy-conserving lighting upgrades, architectural and accessibility enhancements and access control improvements that reduce pollution from queued vehicles. These restoration practices allow meeting, and often exceeding, LEED, USEPA and other sustainable standards.

Although aging structures may be giving you a headache, keeping good use of existing structures relieves the carbon footprint on the earth. “There is nothing more environmentally responsible or that has a lower carbon footprint than simply restoring existing structures rather than demolishing them and building new ones,” observes Dan Moser, a principal for Walker Restoration Consultants.

Source: Walker Parking Consultants (www.walkerparking.com).

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Kimball International Launches Season 5 of Alternative Design Podcast

    Commercial furnishings manufacturer Kimball International recently premiered the fifth season of its Alternative Design podcast, according to a news release. The first episode was released on March 17, and new episodes will launch monthly. The podcast discusses forces that shape built environments, from work to housing to healthcare to human wellness.

  • Florida Elementary School to Undergo $47M Reconstruction

    The School District of Osceola County in Kissimmee, Fla., recently announced a partnership with construction firm Skanska to reconstruct Reedy Creek Elementary School, according to a news release. The $47-million project will involve the new construction of a 96,000-square-foot academic center, renovating the remaining facilities, a full-site redevelopment, and demolishing portions of the existing school.

  • Rice University to Build New Student Life Complex

    Rice University in Houston, Texas, recently announced that a groundbreaking ceremony for the upcoming Moody Center Complex for Student Life (MCCSL) will take place on May 8, 2025, according to a university news release. The 75,000-square-foot facility was designed by architecture firm Olson Kundig with Page serving as executive architect, and it has an estimated completion date of fall 2027.

  • New Kent State Academic Building Earns LEED Silver Certification

    Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, recently announced that its newest academic building, Crawford Hall, has earned a LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, according to a news release. The facility was recognized for its innovative design, water conservation technologies, energy-efficient systems, and sustainable construction materials, among other features.

Digital Edition